UC-NRLF 


35"! 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

DAVIS 


In  Assyrian  Tents 


URIEL..  .  .  SINGING  THE  HYMN  TO  GOD  UPON  "THE  MOUNTAINS."   (pa</e  118) 


In  Assyrian  Tents 


The  Story  of  the  Strange  Adventures 
of  Uriel 


BY 

LOUIS  PENDLETON 

AUTHOR  OF  "  LOST  PRINCE  ALMON  " 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 
DAVIS 

PHILADELPHIA 

THE  JEWISH  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY  OP  AMERICA 
1904 


OMIYKRSITY  OF  CALlFOKUiJU 
LIBRARY 

/ 


COPYRIGHT,  1904 

BY 
THE  JEWISH  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA 


Contents 


CHAPTEB  PAGE 

I.     IN  THE  DOOMED  CITY 7 

II.    DEATH  ON  THE  HIGHWAY 25 

III.  WHAT  BEFELL  AT  THE  INN 46 

IV.  THE  PBOPHET'S  WORD 66 

V.    THE  CAPTIVE'S  SONG 87 

VI.     BEFORE  THE  ASSYRIAN  KING 108 

VII.    SENNACHERIB'S  DREAM 125 

VIII.     A  SLAVE  SET  FREE 138 

IX.  THE  QUARREL  OF  TARTAN  AND  RAB-SHAKEH  153 

X.      JOSEPHA    AND    NAPHTALI 163 

XI.  SENNACHERIB'S  FEAST  176 

XII.  FAILURE — FLIGHT — NIGHT  TERRORS 193 

XIII..  THE  MIRACLE  Is  WROUGHT 214 

XIV.  THE  CHOICE  OF  TIGLATHI-NIN 228 

XV.     JERUSALEM  SALUTES  A  HERO 241 


In  Assyrian  Tents 

CHAPTER  I 

IN  THE  DOOMED  CITY 

THE  HOUK  was  late  and  quiet  reigned 
throughout  Jerusalem.  The  wailing 
of  women  and  the  prayers  and  curses 
of  men  were  heard  no  more.  At  last, 
in  the  oblivion  of  sleep,  the  city  found 
rest  from  bodeful  thoughts  of  the 
morrow. 

But  in  one  interior  lights  still 
burned  and  voices  were  heard.  This 
house  stood  against  the  city  wall,  and 
from  its  flat  roof  that  day  those  who 
still  kept  watch  had  looked  down 
upon  the  messengers  of  Sennacherib, 


8  In  Assyrian  Tents 

and  had  heard  the  insolent  words  ad- 
dressed to  the  people  of  Jerusalem 
and  their  king.  The  late  watchers 
still  grew  hot  with  shame  and  rage  as 
they  remembered. 

"  Jerusalem's  blood  be  upon  its 
own  head,"  was  the  burden  of  the 
message.  "  Hath  King  Hezekiah  al- 
ready forgotten  how  he  was  humbled 
in  the  dust  before  the  great  king  of 
Assyria,  that  he  should  look  for  help 
to  the  broken  staff  of  Egypt  and  cease 
to  send  tribute  to  Nineveh  ?  Doth  he 
remember  no  more  the  wasting  of  his 
land,  the  sacking  of  forty-six  of  his 
fenced  towns,  and  the  carrying  away 
of  two  hundred  thousand  of  his  peo- 
ple into  captivity?  Behold,  I  come 
now  to  do  all  this  and  more,  saith  the 
great  King  Sennacherib.  As  my 
father  did  to  Samaria,  so  will  I  do  to 


In  the  Doomed  Qty  9 

Judah,  driving  forth  into  captivity 
every  inhabitant  of  the  land." 

And  when  Eliakim,  the  minister  of 
King  Hezekiah,  begged  the  messen- 
gers of  Sennacherib  to  speak  in  the 
Assyrian  language  and  not  in  the  He- 
brew, so  that  those  on  the  walls  might 
not  understand,  they  contemptuously 
refused  and  cried  out  to  the  listening 
people : 

"  Let  not  your  king  deceive  you  nor 
your  gods  beguile  you,  for  your  doom 
is  at  hand  if  ye  open  not  your  gates 
and  render  not  tribute  to  the  last 
shekel.  Both  the  people  and  the  gods 
of  Samaria  were  carried  away  cap- 
tive, and  so  shall  ye  be  also,  and  your 
king  and  your  gods." 

Hearing  this,  the  people  answered 
not  a  word,  but  rent  their  clothes  and 
looked  to  see  fire  descend  from  heaven 


io  In  Assyrian  Tents 

upon  the  blasphemers.  Nor  did  Elia- 
kim  answer,  but,  taking  the  writing 
addressed  to  King  Hezekiah,  he  was 
lifted  up  again  by  the  rope  that  had 
let  him  down  among  the  Assyrians 
(for  they  were  an  army  and  the  gates 
were  shut).  Then  the  messengers  of 
Sennacherib  called  out  to  the  people 
on  the  walls  to  make  ready  to  die,  and, 
with  more  taunts  and  threats,  with- 
drew their  forces  to  await  the  hour  of 
battle. 

So  now  there  was  much  running  to 
and  fro,  shouting,  praying,  weeping, 
and  anxious  consultation  in  Jerusa- 
lem. The  soul  of  the  king  and  the 
soul  of  the  potter  alike  were  troubled, 
and  there  was  no  man  or  woman  who 
did  not  tremble  at  the  thought  of  the 
morrow.  But  after  darkness  fell  and 
the  night  grew  old,  anxious  voices 


In  the  Doomed  City  1 1 

were  stilled  and  the  lights  went  out — 
save  in  that  house  where  the  discus- 
sion of  the  universal  peril  had  not 
ceased. 

In  a  dimly-lighted  chamber  of  this 
house,  around  a  table  whereon  were 
bread  and  wine,  three  old  men  and  a 
youth  were  seated.  These  were  Joab, 
a  kinsman  of  the  High  Priest ;  Sha- 
mah,  a  merchant ;  Amnon,  their  host ; 
and  Uriel,  the  latter 's  nephew. 

They  had  told  and  retold  the  story 
of  "  the  Assyrian  wolves";  how  in 
the  fourth  year  of  King  Hezekiah 
they  had  descended  upon  Samaria, 
carrying  away  the  ten  tribes  of  Israel 
and  scattering  them  broadcast  in  far 
countries;  how,  in  the  fourteenth 
year  of  Hezekiah,  under  their  new 
king,  Sennacherib,  they  had  invaded 
Judah  also,  besieging  and  sacking  the 


12  In  Assyrian  Tents 

lesser  cities,  shutting  Hezekiah  up 
in  Jerusalem  "  like  a  bird  in  a  cage  " 
(as  Sennacherib  wrote  of  it  after- 
ward), and  carrying  away  thousands 
into  captivity;  how  Hezekiah  hum- 
bled himself  and  agreed  to  pay  a  trib- 
ute so  heavy  as  to  impoverish  the 
country;  and  how,  finally,  under 
promise  of  aid  from  Sethos,  king  of 
Egypt,  Hezekiah  had  dared  to  send 
no  more  tribute  to  Nineveh.  So  now, 
as  the  three  graybeards  in  the  house 
of  Amnon  agreed,  the  last  state  of 
the  oppressed  kingdom  of  Judah  was 
to  be  worse  than  the  first,  "  for  the 
Assyrian  wolves,  countless  in  num- 
bers, have  again  descended  upon  us, 
and  will  surely  devour  all  that  is 
left." 

"  Hath  the  King  no  hope  in  Sethos, 
of  Egypt?  "  asked  Shamah. 


In  the  Doomed  City  1 3 

"Alas,"  groaned  Amnon,  "  it  is  too 
late  to  send  for  succor,  or  join  our 
men  of  war  with  those  of  Egypt,  for 
already  the  hosts  of  Sennacherib  are 
encamped  between." 

"His  only  hope,"  said  Joab,  "is 
in  the  God  of  Judah.  I  learn  from 
the  High  Priest,  my  kinsman,  that  as 
soon  as  the  letter  of  Sennacherib  was 
brought  to  him,  the  King  covered 
himself  with  sackcloth  and  went  into 
the  Temple,  and  wept  and  prayed  be- 
fore our  God,  beseeching  that  we  may 
be  delivered  from  the  hands  of  the 
Assyrians." 

"  And  hath  he  received  an  an- 
swer? "  asked  Shamah,  eagerly. 

"Nay,  not  yet.  He  prepareth  to 
send  an  embassy  to  Isaiah,  but  the 
prophet  is  now  in  the  hills  of  the 
south,  and  the  answer  must  be  de- 
layed." 


1 4  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  Alas  that  Isaiah,  should  be  absent 
from  Jerusalem  at  such  a  time,"  said 
Shamah. 

"  He  hath  gone  into  retreat,  as  is 
his  wont  from  time  to  time,"  ex- 
plained Joab.  "  His  house  in  Jerusa- 
lem is  shut.  It  is  a  misfortune,  in- 
deed, that  he  should  now  be  absent 
when  most  needed;  for,  unlike  the 
cave-dwelling  prophets  of  old,  it  is 
Isaiah's  habit  to  remain  near  the 
King,  ever  ready  to  give  good  coun- 
sel." 

"  We  can  but  wait,"  said  Amnon, 
mournfully.  "For.  the  strength  of 
Judah,  so  glorious  aforetime,  is 
wasted  and  waned.  We  dare  not  face 
Sennacherib  in  the  field." 

"Where  are  the  heroes  of  old?" 
groaned  Shamah,  lifting  his  hands  in 
a  gesture  of  despair.  "Where  are 


In  the  Doomed  City  1 5 

the  mighty  men  of  Israel?  O  for  a 
David  to  go  forth  and  slay  this  Assy- 
rian Goliath!  r 

' i  I  will  go  forth  to  slay  the  Assy- 
rian Goliath !  " 

The  eyes  of  all  were  turned  upon 
the  youth  Uriel,  as  he  suddenly  rose 
to  his  feet  and  uttered  this  vow.  His 
voice  trembled,  but  his  eye  was  steady, 
and  there  was  about  him  an  atmos- 
phere of  confidence  and  determina- 
tion that  amazed  his  companions.  No 
hair  grew  on  his  face,  he  being 
scarcely  more  than  seventeen  years  of 
age,  but  he  was  a  man  in  stature,  and 
his  bared  arms  were  proof  of  the  pos- 
session of  great  strength.  He  looked 
a  warrior,  and  yet  the  innocence  of 
youth  was  in  his  eye,  and  his  face  was 
as  comely  as  a  girl's. 

"  Thou!  "  cried  Amnon,  his  uncle. 
"Artthoumad?" 


1 6  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"Alas,  thou  art  but  a  youth,"  said 
Joab,  sadly,  though  he  looked  with 
great  admiration  at  Uriel. 

"  They  would  slay  thee  ere  thou 
couldst  lay  eyes  on  Sennacherib," 
said  Shamah. 

But  Uriel,  unmoved  by  these  ex- 
clamations, asked  eagerly  of  Joab: 
"  Thinkest  thou  that  if  Sennacherib 
were  slain  the  Assyrians  would  de- 
part?" 

"  It  may  be,  for  men  say  he  leads 
his  people  to  war,  not  for  territory  or 
tribute,  but  for  the  love  of  fighting 
and  conquering  alone." 

"  Then,"  said  Uriel,  "  I  will  go." 

"  Get  thee  to  thy  bed,"  cried  Am- 
non,  impatiently.  "  Is  it  not  enough 
that  Naphtali,  thy  father,  is  a  cap- 
tive among  the  Assyrians  ?  Wilt  thou 
rob  thy  mother  of  her  son  also  and 


In  the  Doomed  City  1 7 

bow  her  to  the  earth  with  sorrow 
when  the  news  cometh  that  thy  car- 
cass is  food  for  vultures  ?  It  were  in- 
deed virtuous  to  slay  Sennacherib  for 
thy  country's  sake,  but  thou  wouldst 
slay  thyself,  not  him.  Go  now  to  thy 
bed,  that  thou  mayest  rise  at  dawn, 
as  is  thy  wont,  and  fetch  water  from 
the  pool." 

"  Bear  with  me,  my  good  uncle,  and 
hear  me  speak." 

"Gettheetothybed!" 

"Nay,  let  him  first  speak,"  said 
Joab. 

"Let  him  speak,"  urged  Shamah. 
"A  word  is  not  a  deed." 

So  Amnon  sat  down,  shaking  his 
head,  and  was  silent. 

"As  thou  sayest,"  began  Uriel, 
"  my  father  is  a  slave  among  the  As- 
syrians, and  it  is  for  this  in  part  that 


1 8  In  Assyrian  Tents 

I  would  go.  Did  I  not  long  since 
swear  to  go  in  search  of  Mm  when  I 
became  a  man  ?  It  may  be  that  even 
now  he  is  performing  vile  service  in 
the  camp  of  Sennacherib — he  that  is 
of  noble  race! >: 

Uriel's  lip  trembled,  and  as  he 
paused,  breathing  hard,  Joab  gently 
asked  of  him:  "  But  how  canst  thou 
enter  the  Assyrian  camp  ?  They  will 
know  thee  for  a  son  of  Judah  by  thy 
tongue." 

"  I  am  acquainted  with  their  lan- 
guage," replied  Uriel.  "  The  Assyri- 
an cripple  whom  the  King  decreed  no 
man  should  harm,  and  to  whom  I 
have  borne  many  gifts,  he  taught  me 
to  speak  his  tongue  that  I  might  one 
day  seek  my  father.  As  for  my 
mother,"  the  youth  continued  softly, 
"  I  leave  her  in  good  hands." 


In  the  Doomed  City  19 

"  Nay,  'tis  certain  death,"  cried 
Amnon,  interrupting. 

"  Then  death  let  it  be,"  said  Uriel, 
with  the  manner  of  one  inspired. 

He  looked  from  one  to  another,  in- 
quiring what  was  a  life,  a  single  life, 
if  the  sacrifice  could  purchase  the 
safety  of  Jerusalem?  What  was  one 
life  when  the  welfare  of  a  nation  was 
at  stake?  If  he  turned  back  afraid 
from  his  errand,  the  city  would  be 
stormed  and  taken,  thousands  would 
be  slain  and  other  thousands  would 
be  led  into  captivity.  How  could  he 
feel  assured  that  they  would  not  drag 
away  his  own  dear  mother  even  as 
they  had  carried  away  his  father? 
What  man  or  woman  was  safe  ?  Might 
they  not  put  rings  in  the  lips  of  even 
the  three  graybeards  who  now  halted 
and  bade  him  not  go  forth  ?  Only  he 


20  In  Assyrian  Tents 

himself  and  the  other  young  men  who 
died  fighting  would  bs  safe  from 
shame.  It  would  be  death  for  him 
and  captivity  for  his  loved  ones  if  his 
heart  fainted  and  he  turned  back 
from  his  resolve.  It  could  be  no  more 
than  death  for  him  if  he  went  upon 
his  errand,  and  it  might  be  deliver- 
ance for  his  friends  and  his  country. 

"  How  can  ye  put  forth  a  hand  to 
stay  me?"  was  his  impassioned  de- 
mand in  conclusion.  "  Even  my 
mother  should  rejoice  to  see  me  lying 
dead  if  I  have  first  slain  Sennache- 
rib." 

Uriel  spoke  not  with  schooled  elo- 
quence, but  with  the  truer  eloquence 
of  a  heart  deeply  moved.  His  absorb- 
ing purpose,  his  high  resolve  and  de- 
votion, were  heard  in  his  voice  and 
shone  in  his  eye.  It  was  a  sight  to  see, 


In  the  Doomed  City  2 1 

and  one  those  who  looked  and  listened 
would  never  forget.  Thrilled  to  the 
soul,  the  three  old  men  got  upon  their 
feet  and  came  around  the  table  to 
where  Uriel  stood,  saluting  him  as  one 
of  great  estate. 

"  A  hero !  Another  hero  is  born  in 
Israel,"  they  said  wonderingly  to  one 
another.  "  God  strengthen  him  and 
lead  him  to  victory!  " 

Overcome,  his  fears  forgotten,  Am- 
non  embraced  and  kissed  his  nephew, 
tears  streaming  down  his  face. 

"  Blessed  be  thou,"  he  said,  "  for 
thy  heart  is  not  set  upon  a  young 
man's  vanities  but  upon  great  deeds. 
Go,  then,  Uriel,  and  save  Jerusalem." 

In  great  excitement,  but  with  set- 
tled determination,  the  three  old  men 
stood  around  the  youth  and  discussed 
his  mission,  agreeing  that  he  should 


22  In  Assyrian  Tents 

go  forth  without  delay,  but  varying  in 
their  suggestions  as  to  preparations. 

"Alas,  what  of  thy  mother?  "  ques- 
tioned Amnon.  "  Wilt  thou  not  wake 
her  and  bid  her  farewell?  " 

"Nay,  I  would  not  call  her  up," 
said  Uriel.  "  She  would  plead  with 
me  and  delay  me  till  dawn.  Yet  I  will 
bid  her  farewell." 

And  while  the  old  men  busied  them- 
selves with  provision  for  his  journey, 
he  stole  into  a  dimly-lighted  inner 
chamber  of  the  house  where  a  woman 
lay  asleep,  and  he  knelt  in  prayer  be- 
side the  bed.  Rising,  he  bent  over 
and  guardedly  kissed  his  mother's 
face,  halting  for  a  moment  and  look- 
ing back  as  the  woman  stirred,  turned 
unconsciously  toward  him,  sighed, 
and  smiled. 

A  few  minutes  later  the  breathless 


In  the  Doomed  City  23 

old  men  and  the  devoted  youth  as- 
cended the  stair  to  the  flat  roof,  which 
was  on  a  level  with  and  joined  the  top 
of  the  city  wall.  A  cool  current  of  air 
blew  in  their  faces  and  bore  to  them 
the  faint  and  far  sound  of  crowing 
cocks.  Behind  them  lay  the  city,  a 
dusky  vista  of  crowding  buildings. 
Before  them  was  the  open  country, 
dark,  formless  vacancy  where  lay  the 
valleys,  and  irregular  hazy  outlines 
where  the  mountains  rose  against  the 
horizon.  The  star-strewn  sky-dome 
crowning  all,  in  that  moment  of  irre- 
vocable' decision,  seemed  to  at  least 
one  of  the>  four  a  bright  promise  of 
peace  and  protection. 

Whatever  the  three  old  men  may 
have  felt  as  they  strained  at  the  rope 
that  let  him  down  to  the  base  of  the 
wall,  Uriel  knew  no  fear.  And  as  he 


24  In  Assyrian  Tents 

loosed  himself  and  softly  called  out  a 
word  of  farewell,  turning  then  to 
take  his  first  step  toward  his  great 
enterprise,  he  was  uplifted  with  such 
courage  and  hope  as  he  had  never 
known. 


CHAPTER  II 

DEATH  ON  THE  HIGHWAY 

IT  WAS  still  dark,  but  Uriel  moved 
forward  with  the  rapid  gait  of  one 
well  acquainted  with  all  his  surround- 
ings. He  descended  the  steep  slope, 
passed  the  King's  Gardens  and  the 
Pool  of  Siloam,  and  crossed  the  brook 
flowing  through  the  Valley  of  Hin- 
nom.  Climbing  the  opposite  abrupt 
escarpment,  he  hurried  along  the 
highway  through  the  hill  country  to- 
ward Bethlehem. 

In  the  beauty  and  peace  of  that 
cloudless  dawn  there  was  no  sugges- 
tion of  the  dread  calamity  over- 
shadowing the  land.  The  sun's  red 
rays  flashed  across  the  blue  hills,  and 
the  birds  as  always  piped  a  cheerful 


26  In  Assyrian  Tents 

welcome  to  the  new  day.  While 
wreathing  mists  swam  upward  be- 
tween the  green  walls  of  long,  deep 
glens,  the  morning  breeze  caressed 
the  olives  and  stirred  with  a  playful 
touch  the  feathery  crests  of  tall, 
graceful  palms.  There  was,  indeed, 
an  atmosphere  of  solemnity,  but  also 
of  peace,  about  the  darker  cedars  and 
cypresses  crowding  the  loftier  slopes 
beneath  the  bold  bare  rocks  of  the 
mountain  heights. 

As  he  hurried  onward  in  the  full 
light  of  morning,  Uriel  observed  that 
ordinary  sounds  were  hushed  and 
that  the  countryside  was  to  all  ap- 
pearances deserted.  No  moving  fig- 
ures attracted  his  eye  save  those  of 
three  lepers  coming  forth  from  their 
caves  to  stand  within  hail  of  the  high- 
way, as  was  their  wont,  trusting  that 


Death  on  the  Highway  2  7 

their  hoarse  cries  and  the  spectacle  of 
their  terrible  affliction  would  soften 
the  hearts  of  travellers  and  induce 
them  to  deposit  gifts  of  silver,  or  of 
food,  or  clothing  by  the  roadside. 

But  now  there  appeared  to  be  no 
travellers,  and  it  was  plain  that  the 
shepherds  and  vinegrowers  had  fled 
to  the  hills,  carrying  with  them  their 
beasts  and  all  their  other  most  pre- 
cious possessions.  The  fear  of  the 
Assyrian  wolves  was  upon  the  land. 
Stopping  at  the  vineyard  of  a  kins- 
man, where  he  had  hoped  to  secure  a 
horse,  Uriel  found  all  doors  locked 
and  barred,  saw  no  sign  of  man  or 
beast,  and  received  no  answer  to  his 
repeated  calls. 

It  was  clear  that  he  must  abandon 
his  mission  or  walk.  He  accepted  the 
latter  necessity  with  an  undaunted 


28  In  Assyrian  Tents 

heart,  though  impatient  and  restless 
at  the  thought  of  the  delay  involved. 
As  he  journeyed  southward  with  all 
possible  speed,  he  wondered  if  the 
great  highway  between  Jerusalem 
and  Hebron  had  ever  before  been  so 
deserted.  From  dawn  till  mid-after- 
noon he  encountered  scarcely  a  dozen 
of  his  countrymen,  and  these  stole 
along  the  highway  with  a  furtive  and 
watchful  air,  ready  at  the  first  alarm 
to  dart  into  the  cover  of  bordering 
rocks  or  forest.  Uriel  did  likewise, 
for  several  times  large  companies  of 
Assyrians  passed  by,  some  going 
northward,  some  southward.  They 
were  fully  armed,  were  fierce  and 
cruel  of  aspect,  and  the  uproar  of 
their  horses  and  chariots,  as  it  broke 
upon  the  unnatural  stillness,  carried 
fear  to  the  soul  of  every  watchful 
traveller. 


Death  on  the  Highway  29 

The  warning  of  the  presence  of  the 
Assyrians  had  been  borne  as  if  by 
magic  to  the  remotest  settlements, 
and  yet,  strange  as  it  seemed,  the 
tidings  had  not  reached  all.  For  late 
in  the  afternoon  Uriel  was  witness  of 
an  encounter  between  the  caravan  of 
a  merchant  and  a  considerable  force 
of  the  invaders. 

He  had  marked  the  approach  of 
the  latter  and  stepped  aside,  ascend- 
ing the  rocky  hillside  that  he  might 
look  down  and  watch  them  as  they 
passed.  As  the  Assyrians  came  thun- 
dering southward  on  the  highway 
they  were  the  only  repelling  object 
in  a  peaceful  and  almost  enchanting 
scene.  The  hills  rose  steeply  from 
the  winding  road,  with  cypress-bor- 
dered bits  of  greensward  here  and 
there,  and  a  few  graceful  palm  trees 


30  In  Assyrian  Tents 

in  the  view  rising  upward  slenderly 
and  spreading  their  feathery  crests, 
here  against  the  purple  sky  and  there 
outlined  upon  the  background  of  dis- 
tant and  darker  blue  mountain  walls. 
At  a  point  below  Uriel's  place  of 
observation  the  highway  curved,  turn- 
ing almost  at  right  angles.  Thus 
travellers  coming  southward  were 
screened  by  the  intervening  rocks 
from  those  moving  northward.  Ab- 
sorbed in  watching  the  Assyrians  who 
drew  near  from  the  right,  Uriel  did 
not  for  some  time  look  toward  his  left, 
and  was  not  aware  that  a  merchant's 
caravan  was  approaching  from  the 
south  and  would  soon  pass  round 
the  bend  to  encounter  the  invaders. 
"When  he  finally  observed  his  imper- 
illed countrymen  there  was  as  yet  a 
considerable  space  to  be  covered  be- 


Death  on  the  Highway  31 

fore  they  exposed  themselves  to  the 
view  of  the  advancing  Assyrians. 

Obeying  his  first  impulse,  he 
dashed  downward  over  the  rocks  and 
through  the  thickets,  hoping  to  warn 
them  in  time.  But  the  distance  and 
the  difficulties  were  greater  than  he 
supposed,  and  when,  bruised  and 
panting,  he  reached  the  border  of  the 
highway  below  the  bend,  the  foremost 
riders  of  the  caravan  had  already 
turned  the  angle  and  exposed  them- 
selves to  view.  For  he  now  heard  a 
great  shout  from  the  Assyrians  and 
knew  that  they  were  charging  down 
upon  their  helpless  prey.  Prom  his 
position  on  the  hillside  he  had  noted 
that  the  caravan  was  preceded  by  five 
or  six  armed  men  on  horses,  and  con- 
sisted of  three  camels  and  six  pack- 
asses,  each  bound  to  the  other  by  a 


32  In  Assyrian  Tents 

long  connecting  rope.  All  the  beasts 
of  burden  appeared  to  be  heavily 
laden  with  merchandise,  except  the 
last  camel  in  the  line,  on  which  two 
women  were  riding.  This  animal  and 
the  one  just  in  advance  were  all  that 
could  now  be  seen,  the  third  camel 
and  the  pack-asses  having  passed 
round  the  bend  after  the  merchant 
and  his  mounted  guards. 

Uriel  hesitated,  doubtful  what  to 
do.  Then  he  ran  forward,  drawing  a 
knife  from  his  girdle,  cut  the  rope 
that  bound  the  last  camel  to  the  line, 
and  led  the  beast  aside. 

"What  wouldst  thou  do?"  a 
woman's  voice  demanded  sharply. 
"Who  art  thou  ?" 

"  Seest  thou  not  that  I  would  save 
thee  from  the  Assyrians  1  "  he  cried, 
breathless,  looking  up  and  observing 


1 SEEST  THOU  NOT  THAT  I  WOULD  SAVE  THEE  FROM  THE  ASSYRIANS? 


Death  on  the  Highway  33 

for  the  first  time  that  the  camel  bore 
not  two  women,  but  one  woman  and  a 
little  girl  scarcely  more  than  ten 
years  old. 

"  The  Assyrians!  "  gasped  the  wo- 
man in  terror.  She  had  heard  the 
startled  cries  of  the  mounted  guards, 
but  supposed  it  was  only  an  ordinary 
attack  of  robbers  that  might  be  re- 
pelled. 

"  Be  quick!  "  said  Uriel,  when  he 
had  caused  the  camel  to  kneel.  "  We 
have  little  time." 

At  this  moment  shouts,  clashing 
swords,  and  a  shrill  shriek  of  terror 
were  heard,  and,  turning,  Uriel  saw 
that  another  woman  sat  upon  the  sec- 
ond camel.  He  saw  also  that  arrows 
were  flying  over  her  head,  and  that  the 
pack-asses  and  the  third  camel  had 
shrunk  back  from  the  shock  of  battle 


34  In  Assyrian  Tents 

and  were  now  in  full  view,  huddling 
together  and  trembling. 

Uriel  threw  his  left  arm  around  the 
little  girl,  lifting  her  bodily,  and  with 
his  right  hand  literally  dragged  the 
woman  from  her  seat.  Carrying  the 
one  and  forcibly  leading  the  other,  he 
rushed  up  the  rocky  slope  and  into 
the  cover  of  the  shrubs  and  trees, 
halting  only  when  well  assured  that 
they  were  entirely  screened  from 
view. 

"  If  thou  wouldst  escape  Assyrian 
captivity,  keep  the  child  quiet  and 
stir  not  a  foot,"  he  commanded. 

4  '  O  Gamaliel — they  will  slay  him ! ' ' 
groaned  the  woman,  clasping  the  little 
girl  to  her  breast. 

"  Stay  here,  and  I  will  return  to 
aid  him  if  I  can — and  the  other  wo- 


man." 


Death  on  the  Highway  35 

Uriel  hurried  back  to  the  point 
whence  he  could  overlook  the  high- 
way. There  he  saw  at  once  that  he 
had  done  all  he  could  do  for  the 
members  of  the  ill-fated  caravan. 
The  fighting  was  over  and  he  doubted 
not  that  the  merchant  and  his  guards 
were  slain.  Far  down  the  road  their 
riderless  horses  plunged  madly,  fol- 
lowed by  several  pack-asses  and  the 
three  camels,  on  one  of  which  the  un- 
fortunate woman  could  still  be  seen. 
The  highway  was  filled  with  Assyrian 
pursuers  on  horses  and  in  chariots, 
shouting  and  laughing  as  though  en- 
gaged in  sport.  Opposite  Uriel  lay 
two  pack-asses  that  had  been  killed 
by  chance  arrows  and  around  them 
dismounted  Assyrians  swarmed  like 
vultures,  tearing  open  the  bales  of 
merchandise  and  scattering  the  con- 


36  In  Assyrian  Tents 

tents  for  yards  around.  Apparently 
they  sought  gold  and  jewels  only,  re- 
jecting bulkier  though  precious 
goods.  But  might  they  not  desire  fair 
captives  that  could  be  sold  into  slav- 
ery, and  would  not  the  vacant  seat  on 
the  last  camel  of  the  line  attract  their 
notice  and  cause  them  to  search  for 
the  wife  and  child  of  the  merchant  ? 

Disturbed  by  this  thought,  Uriel 
drew  back  guardedly  from  his  point 
of  observation,  and  returned  in  haste 
to  the  woman  and  child. 

"  Come,"  he  said,  "  we  must  go 
farther  away  or  ye  may  be  taken." 

"  But  Gamaliel—  »" 

"As  yet  I  cannot  say.  The  high- 
way is  thronged  with  Assyrians. 
When  I  have  placed  thee  where  they 
cannot  find  thee,  I  will  return  to  look 
for  him." 


Death  on  the  Highway  3  7 

"  Nay,  I  will  not  go!  It  shall  not 
be  said  that  Elisabeth  of  Hebron  de- 
serted her  lord  in  his  hour  of  need." 

"Think  of  the  child." 

"  I  am  athirst,"  said  the  little  girl, 
insistently,  as  if  in  repetition  of  a 
previous  demand. 

"  Hush  thee,  Josepha!  " 

But  Uriel  caught  little  Josepha  in 
his  arms,  and  the  frantic  woman  sub- 
mitted, following  as  he  led  the  way 
upward  and  then  down  into  a  deep 
glen  overshadowed  by  a  dense  growth 
of  cypresses.  In  the  hollow  they 
found  a  clear  spring,  green-bordered 
with  mosses  and  papyrus.  Bidding 
them  sit  where  myrtles  and  flowering 
oleanders  would  screen  them,  Uriel 
brought  water  for  the  child. 

When  he  returned  to  the  highway 
the  Assyrians  were  gone,  all  sounds 


38  In  Assyrian  Tents 

had  ceased,  and  lie  ventured  forth 
without  apprehension.  No  living 
thing  was  left  on  the  scene.  The  hap- 
less merchant  and  his  armed  guards 
lay  where  they  fell  fighting.  Near 
them  were  three  dead  horses,  farther 
away  two  dead  pack-asses,  and  scat- 
tered between,  the  rejected  merchan- 
dise. Uriel  selected  a  cloak,  a  woolen 
cloth,  a  leathern  water-skin,  a  vessel 
containing  wine,  and  some  food,  car- 
rying all  to  a  sheltered  spot  in  the 
cover  of  the  rocks  and  trees.  Then 
he  lifted  and  struggled  with  the  body 
of  Gamaliel,  the  merchant,  to  another 
sheltered  spot  not  far  away,  but 
screened  from  the  view  of  the  first  by 
a  thick  growth  of  shrubs.  Covering 
the  dead  with  the  cloth,  he  returned 
to  the  glen. 

As  he  drew  near  the  spot  where 


Death  on  the  Highway  39 

they  awaited  him,  Uriel  noted  that 
the  clothing  worn  by  the  mother  and 
child  was  costly,  and  everything 
about  them  indicated  that  they  were 
not  people  of  the  common  sort.  The 
hapless  woman  was  still  young,  and 
her  unusual  beauty  forced  itself  upon 
the  youth's  attention  in  spite  of  the 
horror  and  dread  overshadowing  her 
face.  To  the  eye  of  Uriel  little  Jo- 
sepha  was  fairer  still,  and  there  was 
about  her  the  suggestion  of  something 
rare  and  fine.  Unconscious  of  calam- 
ity, she  smiled  at  Uriel  as  he  ap- 
proached. He  smiled  in  turn,  think- 
ing that  no  queen's  crown  was  as  be- 
coming as  her  clustering  black  curls 
and  likening  her  lips  to  pomegranate 
blooms. 

"  Gamaliel! — what  of  him?  "  cried 
the  mother,  starting  up. 


40  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"Come  and  thou  shalt  see  him," 
said  Uriel,  so  gravely  that  the  woman 
caught  her  breath  and  suppressed  a 
cry. 

He  hastened  to  report  that  the  As- 
syrians were  departed,  and  that  they 
might  now  return  to  their  former 
place,  there  to  eat  and  rest.  Having 
led  them  thither,  spread  the  cloak  on 
the  ground,  invited  the  little  girl  to 
sit,  and  given  her  food,  he  drew  the 
mother  aside. 

"  There — behind  that  rock,"  he 
said,  pointing,  and  gently  added:  "Be 
brave,  as  thine  own  Gamaliel  was 
brave,  for  the  sake  of  this  dear  child. 
Thy  lot  is  but  the  lot  of  thousands 
whose  husbands  and  sons  must  die 
fighting  the  wolves  of  Assyria." 

The  poor  woman  ran  from  him  in 
the  middle  of  his  speech,  and  he  heard 


Death  on  the  Highway  41 

her  low  cry  as  she  sank  down  by  the 
body  of  Gamaliel.  Turning  quickly 
to  the  little  girl,  he  spoke  cheerfully, 
breaking  open  a  pomegranate,  and 
calling  her  attention  to  the  beauty  of 
the  opal-like  grains  within,  some  of 
them  almost  as  varied  in  coloring  as 
foam  bubbles  trembling  in  the  wind. 
Josepha  remained  interested  and  con- 
tented to  stay  with  her  new-found 
friend  for  a  little  while  only.  Sud- 
denly she  started  up,  calling  anx- 
iously, and  ran  away  on  the  track  of 
her  mother. 

Following  close  at  her  heels,  Uriel 
saw  that  the  wife  of  Gamaliel  had  un- 
covered the  face  of  her  dead  and 
was  crouching  over  it  in  deep,  silent 
grief.  She  hastily  covered  the  still 
face  as  she  marked  the  approach  of 
the  child,  and  turning,  said : 


42  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  Go  back.  Thy  father  is  asleep, 
and  will  sleep  long." 

"My  father  is  asleep,"  said  Jo- 
sepha,  warningly,  to  Uriel,  and  read- 
ily returned  with  him. 

He  did  not  seek  to  entertain  her 
longer,  but  proposed  that  they  also 
sleep,  stretching  himself  out  and  clos- 
ing his  eyes.  The  tired  child  was 
more  disposed  to  do  likewise  than  he 
had  hoped  and  soon  lay  quiet  in  sound 
sleep.  Covering  her  with  care,  he 
hurried  to  the  mother's  side. 

"  Josepha  is  asleep,"  he  said,  as 
the  widow  looked  up  at  him  vacantly, 
"  and  we  can  talk  of  what  is  to  be 
done.  It  grows  late  and  ye  cannot 
stay  here.  We  must  take  the  road  and 
find  lodging  for  the  night." 

"And  leave  him  thus  !'"  cried  the 
widow,  putting  her  hand  forth  upon 


Death  on  the  Highway  43 

the  shrouded  dead.  "  Nay,  do  not  ask 
me — not  even  for  the  child." 

Uriel  then  gently  assured  her  that 
he  could  hope  to  procure  no  beast 
whereon  she  might  carry  her  dead, 
for  there  were  only  those  of  the  plun- 
dered caravan,  and  they  had  all  been 
driven  far  away  by  the  Assyrians,  in- 
cluding the  camel  ridden  by  the  un- 
fortunate woman. 

"  She  was  my  maidservant — poor 
Zillah!  "  said  the  widow  of  Gamaliel, 
diverted  for  the  moment  from  her 
own  grief. 

For  the  present  the  body  must  be 
left  behind,  but  not  unprotected.  Near 
at  hand  there  was  a  niche  in  a  rocky 
slope  which  could  receive  the  dead 
and  be  readily  walled  up  with  stones, 
being  thus  made  secure  from  the  at- 
tack of  wild  beasts.  To  this  plan  the 
widow  reluctantly  consented. 


44  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  So  let  it  be,"  she  said,  "  and  some 
day  I  will  come  and  take  away  his 
bones." 

Therefore,  having  broken  boughs 
of  cedar  and  cypress,  Uriel  placed  the 
shrouded  body  upon  them  and  cov- 
ered it  with  them  in  the  rough  tomb, 
toiling  patiently  then  until  the  open- 
ing had  been  securely  closed  with 
heavy  stones. 

"  Now  let  us  go,"  he  said. 

"  Farewell,  my  Gamaliel,"  said  the 
widow  brokenly,  but  with  dry  eyes. 
"  May  our  just  God  deal  well  with 
thee  and  bring  confusion  upon  thy 
murderers.  May  He  smite  them  with 
a  heavy  hand  and  drive  them  forth  in 
terror  from  the  land  now  cruelly  trod- 
den beneath  their  feet  ! '' 

Uriel  sighed  as  he  heard  these 
words.  The  strength  of  Judah  was 


Death  on  the  Highway  45 

broken,  and  where  was  the  mighty 
host  that  could  pluck  victory  from  the 
all-conquering  Assyrians,  whose  name 
alone  caused  men  to  tremble  ?  Turn- 
ing away  sadly,  he  lifted  the  sleeping 
child  in  his  arms  and  bade  the  mother 
follow  him. 


CHAPTER  III 

WHAT  BEFELL  AT  THE 

THE  SUN  had  set  and  the  deepening 
twilight  warned  Uriel  to  make  haste. 
He  led  the  way  to  the  highway  at  a 
point  some  distance  from  the  scene  of 
the  afternoon's  tragedy.  "  Would  I 
could  bury  the  poor  guards  also, ' '  was 
his  thought,  "  but  now  it  is  night,  and 
my  duty  to  the  living  drives  me 
hence."  They  had  not  gone  far  on 
their  road  when  the  child  awoke,  and 
the  mother  insisted  that  she  be  put 
down  and  allowed  to  walk.  Clinging 
to  Uriel's  hand,  Josepha  asked  why 
her  father  was  not  with  them. 

"He  still  sleeps,"  explained  her 
mother  after  a  moment  of  troubled 
silence. 


What  Befell  at  the  Inn  47 

"  Will  lie  come  after  us?"  asked 
the  wondering  child.  "  Will  we  go  to 
him?" 

"  Yes,  we  are  to  go  to  him — but  not 
now." 

Two  hours  later  Uriel  left  the 
mother  and  child  in  a  sheltered  spot 
near  the  highway  on  the  outskirts  of 
a  village  and  went  forward  to  find  a 
lodging  for  the  night.  He  soon  re- 
turned with  the  report  that  a  body  of 
Assyrians  had  encamped  on  the  far- 
ther side  of  the  settlement,  but  that 
the  streets  were  quiet,  and  it  seemed 
reasonably  safe  to  lodge  at  an  inn  not 
far  away. 

The  door  of  the  inn  stood  open,  and 
from  it  issued  the  agreeable  odor  of 
cooking  meat.  Only  the  innkeeper 
and  his  wife  were  visible,  and  Uriel 
entered  boldly,  carrying  Josepha,  who 


48  In  Assyrian  Tents 

had  again  fallen  asleep.  The  wife  of 
Gamaliel  followed  watchfully,  noting 
that  the  room  was  large  and  bare  of 
adornment,  containing  little  more 
than  several  tables,  whereon  were 
wine  cups  and  vessels  of  the  common, 
sort. 

"We  wish  lodging  for  the  night 
and  food,"  said  Uriel. 

"  Give  me  the  child,"  said  the  inn- 
keeper's wife.  With  a  pleased,  moth- 
erly smile  she  took  the  little  girl  and 
bore  her,  panting  beneath  the  weight, 
through  the  door  of  an  inner  room. 
The  widow  of  Gamaliel  was  about  to 
follow  when  an  announcement  of  the 
innkeeper  arrested  her  step. 

"  I  see  that  ye  are  good  folk,"  he 
said,  "  but  nevertheless  ye  must  pay 
before  ye  eat  and  sleep.  These  are 
bad  times.  How  do  I  know  that  the 


What  Befell  at  the  Inn  49 

Assyrians  will  not  come  and  rob  you 
ere  I  have  my  dues  ?  ': 

He  mentioned  a  reasonable  sum, 
and  Uriel  drew  forth  his  purse. 

"  Nay,  nay,  good  youth,"  said  the 
widow  of  Gamaliel,  forcing  her  own 
purse  upon  Uriel,  "  not  one-half  a 
shekel  shalt  thou  lose.  Gold  cannot 
repay  what  I  owe  thee,  yet  I  shall  now 
pay  not  alone  for  me  and  mine  this 
night,  but  for  thee  also." 

At  this  moment  the  eyes  of  all  were 
turned  toward  the  door,  through 
which  an  Assyrian  soldier  burst  nois- 

iiy. 

"Yayin,  yayin! "  he  cried  in  the 
Hebrew. 

His  swimming  eyes  and  unsteady 
movements  indicated  that  he  had 
taken  more  wine  already  than  was 
good  for  him.  He  seemed  to  forget 


50  In  Assyrian  Tents 

his  thirst  as  his  gaze  became  fixed  on 
the  widow  of  Gamaliel.  "A  pretty 
captive,"  he  muttered  in  the  Assy- 
rian, which  Uriel  alone  of  those  pres- 
ent understood.  Suddenly  he  turned 
toward  the  door  and  called  as  if  to 
friends  without:  "A  pretty  captive! 
A  pretty  captive!  Come  and  let  us 
take  her  away ! ' : 

There  was  no  response,  his  com- 
rades apparently  having  passed  on. 
Unmindful  or  unconscious  of  this,  he 
turned  and  seized  the  shrinking  wo- 
man, disregarding  Uriel's  loud  and 
commanding  "  Hold!  "  He  was  drag- 
ging her  toward  the  door,  and  she  was 
crying  out  and  struggling,  when  Uriel 
caught  up  a  club  standing  against  the 
wall  and  struck  him  a  crushing  blow. 
He  dropped  to  the  floor  like  a  log, 
the  woman  breaking  from  his  clutch 
and  standing  back. 


What  Befell  at  the  Inn  5 1 

"  Go  within, "  urged  Uriel,  and  the 
widow  of  Gamaliel  ran  panting  into 
the  adjoining  room,  closing  the  door 
behind  her. 

Meanwhile  the  innkeeper  hastily 
shut  the  outer  door.  He  now  spoke 
accusingly  to  Uriel  as  they  looked  at 
each  other  across  the  body  of  the 
prostrate  Assyrian. 

"  I  am  a  man  of  peace,"  he  grum- 
bled. "  I  harm  no  man,  yet  the  As- 
syrians will  come  and  take  vengeance 
upon  me  for  this  thy  deed." 

"  Wouldst  thou  have  had  me  stay 
my  hand?  "  cried  Uriel,  full  of  wrath. 

The  innkeeper  shook  his  head  dole- 
fully without  reply,  then  called 
loudly,  "  Caleb!  Caleb!"  A  young 
man  entered  promptly  from  a  door  at 
the  lower  end  of  the  eating-room. 
Without  explanation  the  innkeeper 


52  In  Assyrian  Tents 

bade  the  newcomer  assist  him  to  lift 
and  carry  the  Assyrian.  Uriel  fol- 
lowed as  far  as  the  court  in  the  rear, 
whence  he  saw  them  open  a  gate  in  a 
wall  and  carry  their  burden  without. 
In  the  dim  light  they  could  then  be 
seen  swinging  the  body  back  and  forth 
until  they  let  go  their  hold  and  it 
dropped  suddenly  out  of  sight  as  if 
over  a  precipice.  Uriel  turned  ab- 
ruptly and  found  his  way  back  to  the 
front  room,  where  the  innkeeper's 
wife  was  now  on  her  knees  wiping  up 
the  bloodstains  from  the  floor. 

"  The  drop  is  deep  and  the  wood  at 
the  bottom  is  dense,"  the  innkeeper 
was  saying  with  a  grim  smile  as  he 
and  his  son  returned.  "  If  the  Assy- 
rians find  him  they  will  not  know  who 
slew  him." 

While  the  widow  of  Gamaliel  was 


What  Befell  at  the  Inn  53 

served  at  her  request  in  the  inner 
room,  food  and  wine  were  brought 
also  to  Uriel  in  the  outer  apartment, 
and  as  he  ate  the  innkeeper  sat  near 
and  talked  with  him. 

"  This  woman  is  of  high  station,'' 
said  the  landlord,  inclining  his  head 
toward  the  door  which  screened  the 
wife  of  Gamaliel  from  view.  "  Art 
thou  her  kinsman?  " 

"  Nay,  I  know  her  not.  I  go  upon 
a  mission  southward,  and  she  would 
return  to  Jerusalem."  Uriel  then 
briefly  told  the  story  of  the  plundered 
caravan. 

"  Why  doth  not  the  King  pay  the 
tribute?"  exclaimed  the  innkeeper, 
impatiently,  when  he  had  heard  all. 
"  'Tis  he  who  hath  brought  such 
affliction  upon  the  land." 

"  Surely    thou    knowest    that    he 


54  In  Assyrian  Tents 

trusted  in  the  promise  from  Egypt," 
said  Uriel,  loyally.  "  He  hath  been 
taken  unawares." 

"Let  him  humble  himself  before 
the  Assyrians.  There  is  naught  else 
to  do.  He  doth  wrong  to  delay." 

"He  doth  right,"  declared  Uriel. 
"  Not  till  every  hope  is  dead  would  I 
see  him  bend  Judah's  back  once  more 
to  the  burden  of  tribute.  O  that  we 
were  strong  enough  to  match  Sen- 
nacherib in  the  field!  " 

"The  burden  of  war  is  greater  than 
the  burden  of  tribute.  Each  eats  up 
the  substance  of  the  land,  but  war  also 
slays  the  flower  of  our  young  men. 
As  for  me,  I  am  well  assured  that  it  is 
better  to  be  taxed  for  the  king  of  As- 
syria than  to  be  taxed  to  pay  for  war 
and  lose  my  sons  also." 

"  It  is  because  of  such  as  thou  that 


What  Befell  at  the  Inn  55 

we  are  fallen  so  low,"  cried  Uriel, 
ceasing  to  eat  in  his  excitement.  "  I 
am  ready  to  give  my  life,  and  were  I 
old  and  had  ten  sons,  I  should  gladly 
give  them  all  for  Judah's  freedom! >: 

' '  The  Assyrians  will  leave  us  free  if 
we  pay  the  tribute,"  said  the  inn- 
keeper, quietly,  though  his  eye  kin- 
dled as  he  watched  and  listened  to  his 
young  guest. 

"  Ay,"  said  Uriel,  "  they  will  leave 
us  free  to  slave  for  them  and  send  all 
our  earnings  to  Nineveh  I  " 

At  this  moment  the  outer  door  was 
flung  open  and  seven  Assyrian  sol- 
diers entered  noisily.  Repeatedly 
shouting,  "Yayin!  Lehem!  "  (wine — 
bread) , — thus  exhausting  their  vocab- 
ulary of  Hebrew  words, — they  seated 
themselves  at  the  tables  with  an  air 
of  proprietorship.  The  innkeeper 


56  In  Assyrian  Tents 

leaped  to  his  feet,  and,  bowing  and 
smiling,  hastened  to  supply  them  with 
food  and  drink.  He  knew  that  he 
would  receive  nothing  in  payment, 
but  hoped  that  his  house  might  not 
be  pillaged  and  that  his  family  might 
escape  harm. 

Uriel  remained  quiet  and  un- 
noticed in  his  corner,  where  he  cov- 
ertly watched  the  Assyrians  and  eag- 
erly listened  to  their  speech.  Whether 
he  should  obtain  useful  information 
or  not,  he  was  glad  of  the  opportunity 
to  hear  their  language  spoken.  At 
first  he  lost  much  of  what  they  said, 
but  gradually  followed  them  more 
readily,  perceiving  that  they  spoke 
only  of  the  day's  experience  and  of 
the  acts  of  violence  which  they  had 
committed.  They  laughed  as  they  re- 
counted the  latter  and  seemed  to  exult 


What  Befell  at  the  Inn  5  7 

in  the  distress  of  the  Hebrew  country- 
folk whom  they  had  robbed  or  other- 
wise ill-treated,  but  their  faces  'were 
not  all  as  fierce  or  vicious  as  Uriel 
had  expected.  Some  of  them  were 
quite  young,  but  three  wore  beards 
half  a  foot  in  length,  in  each  case 
carefully  curled  in  the  Assyrian 
fashion. 

The  food  and  drink  were  evidently 
productive  of  good  humor  among 
them,  and  the  innkeeper  hoped  that 
they  would  leave  his  house  in  peace. 
But  when  they  rose  from  the  tables 
they  began  to  look  about  them  covet- 
ously, and  one  of  them  suddenly  threw 
open  the  door  of  the  inner  room,  re- 
vealing the  widow  of  Gamaliel  where 
she  sat  by  a  couch  on  which  lay  her 
sleeping  child. 

"A  slave!"  cried  the  Assyrians. 
"  A  beautiful  slave!" 


5  8  In  Assyrian  Tents 

Before  any  one  could  interfere,  the 
poor  woman  was  drawn  into  the  eat- 
ing-room, and  she  stood  struggling  in 
the  grasp  of  two  of  the  fiercest  of  the 
invaders.  That  they  were  all  deter- 
mined to  carry  her  away  captive  was 
plain,  and  the  innkeeper  and  his  son 
looked  at  each  other  in  helpless  sor- 
row, standing  still  in  their  places. 
Uriel  did  not  thus  submit.  Forget- 
ting his  great  mission,  and  unmindful 
that  he  could  only  sacrifice  his  life  in 
vain,  he  leaped  forward,  full  of 
wrath,  to  his  countrywoman's  de- 
fense. But  the  innkeeper  seized  him 
as  he  was  about  to  pass  rushing  to 
his  death,  and,  with  help  from  the 
young  man  Caleb,  bore  him  down  and 
held  him  fast,  although  he  struggled 
furiously. 

"Uriel,"  called  out  the  wife  of 


What  Befell  at  the  Inn  59 

Gamaliel,  who  had  observed  all  this 
and  had  now  ceased  to  struggle  with 
her  captors — "  Uriel,  listen  to  my  last 
word.  I  cannot  live  as  a  slave  among 
wild  beasts,  and  ere  the  night  is  old 
I  shall  find  the  only  means  of  escape 
from  them." 

"  Oh,  not  so — say  not  so ! "  groaned 
Uriel,  his  eyes  so  blinded  with  a  rush 
of  tears  that  he  could  scarcely  see  the 
woman's  pale  face. 

"  I  go  to  Gamaliel,"  he  heard  her 
unsteady  voice  continue,  "  and  I 
leave  my  child  with  thee.  Keep  her 
in  safety  until  the  invaders  are  gone, 
then  take  her  to  Jerusalem,  and  claim 
for  her  the  inheritance  of  Gamaliel. 
Thou  hast  my  purse  and  in  it  thou  wilt 
find  that  which  will  prove  her  name 
and  rights.  And,  Uriel,  thou  noble 
youth,  if  it  pleaseth  thee  to  wed  her 


60  In  Assyrian  Tents 

when  she  is  of  the  proper  age  and 
thou,  too,  art  older,  know  that  it  is  my 
desire,  for  there  is  none  more  worthy 
than  thou.  Farewell ! ' ' 

Respecting  the  desperate  woman's 
desire  to  say  these  parting  words,  the 
Assyrians  halted  for  a  moment  and 
suffered  her  to  speak.  But  now  they 
hurriedly  bore  her  away,  while  Uriel 
lay  struggling  fiercely  on  the  floor. 

"  Let  me  go!  Let  me  go  and  save 
her!" 

But  cords  having  been  brought  by 
the  innkeeper's  wife,  the  three  suc- 
ceeded in  binding  him  hand  and  foot, 
after  which  he  was  lifted  bodily  and 
placed  on  the  floor  in  an  obscure  cor- 
ner. 

"  Why  shouldst  thou  go  to  thy  death 
in  vain?  "  argued  the  innkeeper.  "  If 
we  are  to  have  war,  thy  country  hath 


What  Befell  at  the  Inn  6 1 

need  of  thy  stout  heart  and  strong 
arm.  I  grieve  for  the  poor  woman 
even  as  thou,  but  only  a  host  could 
take  her  from  the  Assyrians." 

"  Only  cowards  would  let  her  go 
without  the  lifting  of  a  hand,"  cried 
Uriel,  shaken  with  sobs. 

The  innkeeper's  wife  began  to 
weep  aloud,  her  heart  torn  with  grief 
for  the  poor  captive  and  moved  to 
sympathy  and  love  for  Uriel.  "  O 
day  of  evil!  "  she  mourned.  "  That 
I  should  live  to  see  these  things  be- 
neath this  roof!  " 

"Go  to  the  child,"  bade  her  hus- 
band, and  she  gladly  withdrew. 

The  sorrows  of  that  night  were  not 
ended.  Within  an  hour  another  and 
larger  party  of  Assyrians  invaded  the 
house,  searching  it  throughout  for 
hidden  treasure.  And  when  they  de- 


62  In  Assyrian  Tents 

parted  they  carried  away  little  Jo- 
sepha  before  the  eyes  of  Uriel,  who  lay 
writhing  and  frantic  in  the  corner. 
He  heard  them  as  they  discussed  the 
beauty  of  the  sleeping  child  and  the 
possible  amount  of  silver  that  one  of 
the  great  lords  in  the  camp  of  Sen- 
nacherib would  pay  for  so  desirable  a 
slave.  They  answered  the  cries  and 
entreaties  of  the  innkeeper's  wife 
with  harsh  words,  and  bore  the  child 
away,  together  with  a  part  of  the  inn- 
keeper's hidden  gold,  which  they 
forced  him  to  surrender  and  which  he 
swore  was  all. 

When  the  house  was  quiet  once 
more  the  innkeeper  and  his  son  came 
to  Uriel,  and,  lifting  him,  carried  him 
to  an  upper  room.  Placing  him  on  a 
bed,  they  spread  light  covering  over 
him,  but  did  not  loose  his  bonds. 


What  Befell  at  the  Inn  63 

' '  He  will  not  rest  easy  thus, ' '  the  inn- 
keeper said  to  his  son,  "  but  if  we 
loose  him  he  will  rush  forth  to  his 
death  even  now." 

"  Ye  have  saved  my  life  and  made 
me  forever  ashamed,"  said  Uriel,  ac- 
cusingly, as  they  prepared  to  leave 
him. 

"  Remember  thy  mission  to  the 
south,"  said  the  innkeeper,  soothing- 
ly. "If  it  be  of  great  importance 
thou  wilt  one  day  thank  me.  And  if 
the  hosts  of  Judah  be  called  out  to 
face  the  Assyrians,  thou  wilt  again 
thank  me.  For  in  saving  thee  for  thy 
country  from  useless  death,  I  have 
also  saved  thine  honor.  The  honor  so 
dear  to  a  young  man  hath  in  thy  case 
received  no  hurt.  Thou  didst  all  thou 
couldst,  and  being  bound  hand  and 
foot,  thou  couldst  do  no  more.  There- 
fore, be  comforted." 


64  In  Assyrian  Tents 

In  the  apathy  that  succeeded  his 
fierce  struggles  and  keen  grief,  Uriel 
listened  without  further  exclamation, 
and  he  was  for  a  moment  diverted 
from  the  fate  of  his  friends  when  the 
innkeeper  turned  at  the  door  to  add : 

"  This  will  be  a  night  of  grief  for 
me  and  mine  as  well  as  for  thee.  Thou 
hast  been  robbed  of  the  friends  of  an 
hour,  but  I  have  been  robbed  of  the 
savings  of  ten  years — of  the  half  of 
that  which  was  to  keep  hunger  from 
my  door  in  helpless  old  age." 

The  sun  had  risen  high  when  the 
innkeeper  returned  to  the  room  and 
roused  Uriel  from  the  troubled  sleep 
into  which  he  had  finally  drifted  at 
dawn.  He  was  told  that  the  Assy- 
rians had  long  since  broken  camp  and 
departed  with  their  captives  and 
their  booty,  that  he  could  not  hope  to 


What  Befell  at  the  Inn  65 

overtake  them  even  with  the  fleetest 
horses,  and  that,  therefore,  he  was 
now  free  to  go  his  way. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  PROPHET'S  WORD 
As  URIEL  went  on  his  journey  he  ex- 
perienced the  most  bitter  sorrow  he 
had  ever  known,  save  on  the  day  his 
mother  fell  to  the  floor  at  the  news 
that  his  father  was  among  those  taken 
alive  and  carried  away  captive  by 
Sennacherib.  Even  then  it  was  more 
the  sight  of  his  mother's  grief  than 
the  thought  of  his  own  loss  that 
moved  him,  for  he  was  still  young. 
Now  he  was  shaken  with  a  young 
man's  rage  as  well  as  a  boy's  sorrow 
as  he  reflected  upon  the  fate  of  the 
fair  woman  and  the  fairer  girl  whom 
he  had  learned  to  love. 

He  had  shed  tears  while  bound  and 
helpless  in  the  night,  but  now  he  grew 


The  Prophet's  Word  67 

hot,  and  his  eyes  glowed,  as  youthful 
hope  and  high  resolve  were  re-awak- 
ened. One  thing  comforted  him.  The 
Assyrians  had  gone  southward  with 
their  captives.  Therefore  he  could 
follow  on  their  track  without  depart- 
ing from  the  course  that  led  to  the 
camp  of  Sennacherib.  Might  he  not 
save  them  while  on  the  road — rescue 
them  by  night,  perhaps,  and  place 
them  in  some  haven  of  safety  ?  O  that 
he  might  fall  upon  their  captors  and 
upon  all  the  invaders  with  a  great 
army !  O  that  he  might  do  such  deeds 
as  were  done  by  the  great  captains  of 
his  race!  Joshua  and  Jephtha  and 
Gideon  and  Saul  and  David — why 
might  he  not  become  a  warrior  such 
as  these  ? 

He  thought  that  if  there  were  even 
ten  thousand  true  men  who  feared  not 


68  In  Assyrian  Tents 

death  and  longed  for  victory,  as  did 
he,  the  invaders  might  be  driven, 
humbled  and  broken,  from  the  coun- 
try. But  there  were  not  ten  thousand. 
There  were  not  ten  hundred.  Bent 
to  the  yoke  were  the  necks  of  his  peo- 
ple and  the  warlike  spirit  had  gone 
from  them.  His  once  mighty  nation 
had  too  long  decayed  in  the  indolence 
of  an  inglorious  peace.  So  reflected 
Uriel,  chafing  against  the  bonds  cf 
circumstance  as  does  a  young  lion 
against  prison  bars. 

It  was  long  past  noon  and  the  sun 
declined  when  hunger  drove  him  in- 
land from  the  deserted  highway.  As- 
cending among  the  foothills  of  a 
range  of  mountains,  he  found  a  path 
which  led  ere  long  to  the  house  of  a 
shepherd.  Apparently  the  master 
had  either  fled  or  was  watching  his 


The  Prophet's  Word  69 

sheep  on  a  distant  pasture  ground, 
for  Uriel  saw  no  sign  of  life.  The 
tree  tops  and  vines  showing  above  the 
garden  wall  tempted  him  with 
thoughts  of  grapes  and  figs.  Even 
though  the  shepherd's  family  were 
not  there  to  welcome  him,  he  could 
satisfy  his  hunger  and  pass  on  with- 
out robbery,  provided  he  carried 
nothing  away,  for  he  recalled  the 
Mosaic  law  which  read :  "  When  thou 
comest  into  thy  neighbor's  vineyard, 
then  thou  mayest  eat  grapes  thy  fill 
at  thine  own  pleasure ;  but  thou  shalt 
not  put  any  in  thy  vessel." 

Uriel  approached  without  fear, 
therefore,  expecting  to  scale  the  wall 
if  need  be,  and  found  to  his  surprise 
that  the  gate  was  not  locked.  As  he 
pushed  it  open  and  entered,  he  heard 
the  stroke  of  a  staff  on  some  soft  sub- 


70  In  Assyrian  Tents 

stance,  and  promptly  discovered  a 
woman  tinder  a  fig  tree  at  the  farther 
side  of  the  garden,  within  a  few  feet 
of  the  shepherd's  modest  stone  dwel- 
ling. A  skin  churn  filled  with  milk 
was  suspended  from  a  bough,  and  the 
woman  was  engaged  in  beating  it  with 
her  staff,  causing  it  to  swing  to  and 
fro.  She  started  apprehensively  on 
seeing  Uriel,  but  his  face,  dress,  and 
manner  disarmed  suspicion.  She 
watched  his  approach  in  silent  ad- 
miration, and  greeted  him  without 
fear,  won  in  an  instant  by  his  beauty, 
the  innocence  of  his  eye,  and  his  man- 
ly bearing. 

"I  am  athirst  and  hungry,"  he 
said.  "  I  pray  thee  for  food  and 
drink." 

"  My  man  is  in  the  far  pasture  with 
the  sheep,"  she  told  him,  "  but  thou 
art  welcome." 


The  Prophet's  Word  7 l 

She  gave  him  a  seat  by  a  small 
table  beneath  a  balcony  upborne  on 
palm  trunks,  and  brought  him  bread, 
wine,  and  fruit  from  within  the 
house.  As  he  ate  hastily  and  in 
silence,  she  struck  a  few  more  blows 
on  the  suspended  skin  churn,  then 
feeling  it  and  apparently  satisfied 
that  the  butter  was  made,  took  it 
down  and  carried  it  within. 

"Why  is  it,"  asked  Uriel,  when 
she  returned,  bringing  him  milk, 
"  that  ye  also  have  not  fled  in  fear  of 
the  Assyrians?  " 

"  We  are  not  without  fear,  yet  we 
trust  to  the  word  of  the  prophet  that 
we  shall  be  left  in  peace." 

"  Speakest  thou  of  Isaiah?  " 

"Of  him.  He  is  there,"— the 
woman  pointed  toward  the  blue 
mountain  tops, — "and  his  presence 
is  our  protection." 


72  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"Why,"  asked  Uriel,  "should  he 
protect  thee  and  thine,  and  not  all 
the  people  of  this  region?  " 

"  I  know  not,  unless  it  be  that  we 
became  his  servants  of  our  own  free 
will.  Since  the  day  we  knew  he  had 
chosen  this  mountain  for  communion 
with  God  we  have  sent  him  offerings 
of  food  and  wine  at  morning  and  at 
evening.  When  tidings  of  the  Assy- 
rians reached  us,  Jared,  my  man, 
went  and  bowed  before  him  in  fear 
and  trembling,  but  the  prophet  bade 
him  be  comforted  and  promised  that 
the  Assyrians  should  not  set  foot  on 
our  land." 

"Doth  he  speak  freely  with  thy 
man?" 

"  Nay,  he  hath  spoken  twice  only. 
We  dare  not  obtrude  upon  him,  but 
place  our  offerings  upon  a  rock,  call 


The  Prophet's  Word  73 


out  to  him  from  afar,  and  come  away, 
for  it  is  holy  ground." 

"Thinkest  thou,"  asked  Uriel, 
eagerly,  "  that  he  would  deign  to 
speak  to  me?  " 

"  How  can  I  say,  not  knowing  thy 
business?  If  thou  goest  merely  to 
look  upon  him,  thou  wilt  be  made  to 
repent,  but  if  thy  message  requireth 
an  answer  from  the  man  of  God,  have 
no  fear.  The  messengers  of  King 
Hezekiah  will  assuredly  be  answered 
and  come  away  satisfied." 

"Hast  thou  seen  the  King's  mes- 
sengers to  Isaiah?  " 

"Ay;  they  broke  bread  with  us 
and  passed  on  within  the  hour." 

Uriel  rose  hurriedly. 

"  I  would  follow  them  and  ask  a 
question  of  my  lord  the  prophet  ere 
I  go  forward  on  my  mission.  Wilt 
thou  show  me  the  path?  " 


74  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  That  will  I,"  replied  the  shep- 
herdess, convinced  of  his  earnestness 
and  good  purpose. 

"And  wilt  thou  let  me  be  the 
bearer  of  thy  evening  offering,  that 
I  may  have  excuses  should  my  heart 
fail  me  so  that  I  speak  not  of  my 
mission?  " 

"  That  will  I  also,"  answered  the 
woman,  gently.  "  I  perceive  thou 
art  sore  troubled  in  mind,  good  youth, 
and  I  will  do  all  I  may  to  aid  thee." 

She  bade  him  wait  a  little  and  hur- 
ried into  the  house,  soon  returning 
with  a  skin  of  wine  and  a  basket  of 
breads  and  fruit. 

"  Take  this,  our  evening  offering," 
she  said,  "  and  if  need  be  say  thou  art 
the  friend  of  the  shepherd  Jared  and 
his  wife  Adah." 

"I  am  Uriel,  of  Jerusalem,"  res- 


The  Prophet's  Word  75 

ponded  the  youth,  hurriedly.  "  My 
father  hath  long  been  a  captive 
among  the  Assyrians,  and  I  go  upon 
a  mission  to  the  camp  of  Sennach- 
erib." 

"  Alas,  I  fear  for  thee — thou  art 
so  young,"  said  the  woman,  her  voice 
gentle  and  her  eye  tender  and  pitying. 
"  Thou  dost  well  to  hear  first  the  word 
of  the  prophet." 

"  I  have  no  fear,"  declared  Uriel, 
with  a  strong  young  man's  confidence. 

"  Follow  this  path,"  directed  the 
shepherdess,  when  they  had  passed 
out  into  the  forest,  "  and  within  the 
hour  thou  wilt  arrive.  God  be  with 
thee  on  thy  way." 

"  And  God  bless  thee  for  thy  good- 
ness to  a  stranger.  Farewell ! >: 

The  path  was  well  marked,  having 
often  been  trodden  by  the  sheep  fol- 


76  In  Assyrian  Tents 

lowing  Jared  to  distant  mountain 
pastures.  It  was  not  possible  to  go 
astray,  but  as  lie  went  forward  Uriel 
became  more  and  more  uneasy.  What 
troubled  him  was  the  thought  of  meet- 
ing the  prophet.  Could  he  confess 
the  nature  of  his  mission,  and  might 
not  Isaiah  know  all  before  a  word 
was  spoken  ?  What  if  he  should  for- 
bid the  enterprise  and  enjoin  a  pre- 
sumptuous youth  to  return  to  his 
home,  there  to  await  such  series  of 
events  as  might  be  ordained  by  Prov- 
idence? And  if  so,  how  could  he, 
Uriel,  support  his  disappointment? 
For  he  would  not  dare  disobey. 
Would  it  not  be  wiser,  therefore,  to 
follow  his  own  promptings  and  for- 
bear to  seek  communion  with  the  man 
of  God? 

Thus  troubled  and  thus  hesitating, 


The  Prophet's  Word  77 

Uriel  looked  neither  to  right  nor  left 
as  he  climbed  upward,  and  saw  noth- 
ing of  the  beauty  of  near  or  distant 
views  bathed  in  the  rich  glows  of  de- 
parting day.  The  palms  and  cypresses, 
the  bold  bare  rocks,  the  deep  glens 
wherein  clear  streams  broke  white 
and  noisily  over  obstructing  stones, 
the  purple  mountain  tops  afar — these 
brought  no  pleasure  to  his  heedless 
eye.  He  saw  only  the  upward  wind- 
ing path,  and  heard  only  the  ques- 
tions which  were  asked  and  were  not 
answered  in  his  own  agitated  mind. 

The  shades  of  evening  were  gather- 
ing when  he  drew  near  the  dreaded 
spot.  He  knew  his  journey  was  at  an 
end  when  he  saw  the  guide  sent  by 
the  shepherd  Jared  seated  idly  on  the 
border  of  the  path,  awaiting  the  re- 
turn of  the  King's  messengers.  Pass- 


78  In  Assyrian  Tents 

ing  on  in  silence  for  some  short  dis- 
tance, Uriel  halted  suddenly  at  the 
sound  of  voices  and  screened  himself 
behind  a  rock. 

A  few  feet  forward  he  saw  two  men 
clothed  in  sackcloth  and  bowed  to  the 
earth  as  if  before  a  king,  but  the  ob- 
ject of  their  adoration  was  hidden 
by  intervening  obstructions.  Uriel 
moved  to  shift  his  position  that  he 
might  see  more,  but  a  twig  snapped 
harshly  beneath  his  tread,  and  one  of 
the  kneeling  men  turned  his  head, 
startled,  in  the  direction  of  the  sound. 
So  the  youth  remained  in  his  place, 
fearing  detection  and  breathing  hard. 
Much  as  he  wished  to  gain  a  point 
whence  the  form  of  the  prophet  might 
be  seen,  he  dared  not  take  the  risk  at 
once,  and,  moreover,  he  wished  to 
hear  the  words  that  might  be  spoken. 


The  Prophet's  Word  79 

The  two  kneeling  messengers  kept 
their  eyes  mostly  upon  the  ground,  as 
if  in  awe,  but  now  and  then  they 
looked  up  doubtfully,  and  their 
glances  seemed  to  rest  upon  objects 
some  distance  from  them.  At  last 
they  spoke,  and  loudly  enough  for 
Uriel  to  hear. 

"  It  is  ended,"  said  one. 

"  The  prophet  hath  dismissed 
him,"  said  the  other. 

"  The  prophet  retireth  again  with- 
in the  cave,"  said  the  first  speaker. 

"  And  now  Elihu  returneth  to  us." 

The  two  men  rose  and  stood  wait- 
ing. The  sound  of  footsteps  was 
heard,  and  then  they  were  joined  by  a 
third  old  man  clothed  also  in  sack- 
cloth. It  was  at  once  plain  to  Uriel 
that  Elihu,  the  leader,  had  gone  for- 
ward at  the  prophet's  bidding,  while 


8o  In  Assyrian  Tents 

the  other  messengers  remained  afar 
and  waited.  Standing  in  his  place, 
the  youth  now  heard  all  that  passed 
between  them. 

"  What  said  he,  Elihu?  " 
"  He  bids  the  King  be  of  good 
cheer." 

"  What  saidst  thou  to  him?  " 
"I  said:  '  Hear,  my  lord,  for,  lo, 
King  Hezekiah  hath  rent  his  clothes 
and  covered  himself  with  sackcloth 
and  doth  weep,  and  hath  bidden  thy 
servants  seek  thee  and  learn  the  will 
of  Judah's  God.    For  the  Assyrians 
have  descended  upon  us,  and  Sen- 
nacherib   doth   threaten    Jerusalem, 
raising    his    despoiling    hand    even 
against  the  Temple  of  our  God.' ! 
"  And  what  said  he  in  answer?  " 
"  He  bade  me  say  to  our  master,  the 
King :  l  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Be  not 


The  Prophet's  Word  8 1 

afraid  of  the  words  which  thou  hast 
heard.  That  which  thou  hast  prayed 
to  Me  against  Sennacherib,  king  of 
Assyria,  I  have  heard.  Behold,  I  will 
send  a  blast  upon  him.' : 

"  Aha,  a  *  blast  upon  him '!  " 

"  Said  he  no  more?" 

' i  Much  more.  He  bade  me  say  that 
thus  the  Lord  hath  said  of  Sennach- 
erib :  '  I  know  thy  abode,  and  thy 
going  out  and  thy  coming  in,  and  thy 
rage  against  Me.  Because  thy  rage 
against  Me  and  thy  tumult  are  come 
up  into  Mine  ears,  therefore  I  will  put 
My  hook  in  thy  nose,  and  My  bridle 
in  thy  lips,  and  I  will  turn  thee  back 
by  the  way  which  thou  earnest.' " 

"A  bridle  in  his  lips  and  a  hook 
in  his  nose!  "  cried  one  of  the  listen- 
ing messengers.  "  Judah  is  saved!  " 

"  The  prophet  also  promised  to  re- 


82  In  Assyrian  Tents 

turn  to  Jerusalem  with  all  speed  and 
himself  take  counsel  with  King  Heze- 
kiah,  as  is  his  custom,"  said  Elihu. 
"  Let  us  hasten  to  the  King  with  the 
good  news/7  he  added  urgently. 

Thereupon  the  three  moved  away 
along  the  beaten  path,  passing  near 
the  crouching  figure  of  Uriel,  but  not 
observing  him. 

Uriel's  first  impulse  was  to  follow 
and  question  them,  for  he  longed  to 
know  what  might  be  Elihu 's  interpre- 
tation of  the  prophet's  mysterious 
words.  In  what  way  was  a  "  blast  " 
to  be  sent  upon  the  Assyrians,  and 
how  was  a  "hook"  to  be  put  into 
Sennacherib's  nose,  or  his  lips  to  be 
bridled? 

But  the  youth  halted  ere  he  had 
taken  three  steps.  He  knew  that  the 
King's  messengers  would  resent  his 


The  Prophet's  Word  83 

questions  and  that  they  could  not  be 
expected  to  publish  the  great  news 
before  they  had  returned  and  re- 
ported to  the  King.  So  he  stood  still 
reflecting,  and  anon  remembered  that 
he  bore  the  evening  offering  of  the 
shepherd  family,  and  that  he,  too, 
wished  to  seek  an  answer  from  the 
prophet. 

The  recollection  brought  fresh  per- 
plexities. If  the  discomfiture  of  the 
Assyrians  was  ordained,  if  they  were 
to  be  driven  forth  by  an  unforeseen 
and  mysterious  "  blast,"  why  need  he 
sacrifice  his  life  in  order  to  raise  his 
own  puny  hand  against  the  life  of 
Sennacherib  ?  If  he  persisted,  would 
he  not  be  convicted  of  both  a  pre- 
sumptuous ambition  and  of  light  re- 
gard for  those  who  loved  him  and 
would  mourn  his  loss  ?  In  great  an- 


84  In  Assyrian  Tents 

guish  of  mind  the  youth  stood  unde- 
cided some  moments  longer,  then  re- 
solved to  confess  all  to  the  prophet 
and  abide  by  his  counsel. 

Taking  up  the  wine-skin  and  the 
basket,  he  approached  the  cavern's 
mouth,  the  dark  irregular  outlines  of 
which  he  now  plainly  perceived  in  a 
precipitous  wall  of  rock  some  short 
distance  up  the  slope.  But  terror  of 
what  he  proposed  to  do  grew  upon 
him  as  he  drew  near,  and  he  knew 
that  it  was  easier  to  face  a  roaring 
lion  than  stand  before  that  dark  cav- 
ern and  call  aloud  the  name  of  the 
man  whose  ears  were  open  to  the 
voice  of  the  Lord  God. 

It  was  not  the  thought  of  bodily 
harm  but  the  dread  of  offending  by 
his  presumption  that  made  him 
quake,  and  brought  out  the  cold  sweat 


The  Prophet's  Word  85 

on  his  brow.  This  was  holy  ground 
and  he  was  unholy.  He  thought  of 
the  man  who  touched  the  ark  of  the 
Lord  and  fell  dead  ere  he  could  with- 
draw his  hand  from  that  rash  sacri- 
lege. 

As  he  placed  the  shepherd's  even- 
ing offering  on  a  flat  stone  at  the  cav- 
ern's entrance  and  opened  his  mouth 
to  call,  Uriel  knew  that  he  could  not 
face  the  man  of  God.  It  was  impos- 
sible. His  mouth  ran  dry  and  his 
tongue  refused  him  utterance.  Fear 
of  the  unseen,  the  unknown,  held  him 
as  in  the  grasp  of  a  benumbing,  giant 
hand. 

He  had  no  sooner  dropped  his  bur- 
den than  he  turned  giddily  and  has- 
tened down  the  mountain,  looking 
backward,  startled,  at  the  sound  of 
every  shaking  leaf,  and  hurrying  the 


86  In  Assyrian  Tents 

more  as  the  deepening  darkness 
warned  him  that  he  might  go  utterly 
astray  and  wander  back  unaware  to 
that  dread  spot  before  the  prophet's 
cave. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  CAPTIVE'S  SONG 
URIEL  DID  not  stop  at  the  shepherd's 
home  on  his  way  down  the  mountain. 
Seeing  lights,  he  thought  regretfully 
of  the  gentle  Adah  and  of  the  com- 
forts that  might  be  his,  but  he  knew 
that  the  King's  messengers  would  rest 
there,  and  he  feared  to  present  him- 
self before  them.  He  was  unwilling 
either  to  reveal  to  them  the  nature  of 
his  mission  southward  or  confess 
that  his  heart  had  failed  him  when 
he  stood  before  the  prophet's  cave. 

After  a  last  backward  glance  and 
a  sigh,  he  resolutely  followed  the 
downward  path,  halting  only  when 
he  reached  an  abandoned  sheepfold 
near  the  highway,  where  he  passed  the 


88  In  Assyrian  Tents 

night  on  a  pile  of  cut  grass.  He  rose 
at  dawn  and  continued  his  southward 
journey,  confident  and  despondent  by 
turns. 

At  times  he  allowed  himself  to  be- 
lieve that  his  mission  still  claimed 
him  in  spite  of  the  prophet's  words. 
Might  not  he,  even  he,  be  the  chosen 
instrument  of  the  humiliation  of  the 
Assyrians?  Might  not  the  death  of 
their  king  at  his  hand  send  them  forth 
grief -stricken  and  afraid,  and  thus 
the  prayer  of  King  Hezekiah  be  an- 
swered? In  calmer  moments  he  re- 
buked himself  for  this  proud  thought, 
but  it  returned  again  to  tempt  him. 
Even  while  doubtful  and  despondent 
he  kept  on  his  way,  spurred  by  the 
love  of  action  and  adventure.  He 
told  himself  that  he  was  at  least  free 
to  continue  his  journey  until  he  could 


The  Captive's  Song  89 

look  down  upon  the  great  Assyrian 
encampment  from  some  neighboring 
hill,  and  that  till  then  the  final  deci- 
sion might  be  delayed. 

One  thing  that  had  troubled  him 
from  the  outset  now  troubled  him  yet 
more.  A  few  words  uttered  by  the 
three  old  men  ere  they  sent  him  forth 
showed  that  they  expected  him  to  slay 
Sennacherib  by  stealth  and  not  in 
open,  honorable  combat.  They  knew 
better  than  he  that  the  former  was 
the  only  possible  method,  and  had  the 
case  been  argued,  they  would  have 
justified  that  method  on  the  ground 
that  Sennacherib  was  a  public,  not  a 
private,  enemy,  and  that  his  death 
would  mean  freedom  for  their  op- 
pressed country.  A  tyrant  could  not 
be  challenged  to  open  combat,  and  if 
the  blow  were  struck  at  all,  it  must  be 


90  In  Assyrian  Tents 

in  secret.  But  Uriel  shrank  with  hor- 
ror from  the  thought  of  stabbing  even 
his  country's  arch-enemy  in  the  back 
or  while  asleep.  From  the  outset  he 
cherished  the  hope  that  he  might  kill 
Sennacherib  in  a  fair  encounter,  for- 
getting that  nothing  short  of  a  mira- 
cle of  chance  could  bring  him  into  the 
presence  of  the  Assyrian  king  when 
both  the  latter 's  guards  and  servants 
were  out  of  reach. 

In  spite  of  misgivings,  doubts,  and 
fears  he  kept  steadily  on  his  way,  and 
about  mid-afternoon  a  few  days  later 
reached  the  crest  of  a  hill  whence  he 
looked  down  and  beheld  Sennach- 
erib's great  encampment. 

"  The  Assyrians  are  as  the  sands  of 
the  sea  for  multitude,"  murmured 
Uriel,  amazed  and  disheartened  when 
he  perceived  the  vast  extent  and  mag- 
nificence of  the  camp. 


The  Captive's  Song  91 

Confident  in  their  strength  to  repel 
all  comers,  the  Assyrians  had  not 
chosen  a  hill  of  difficult  approach,  but 
lay  at  rest  in  a  wide,  grassy,  and  well- 
watered  valley,  their  encampment 
covering  miles  of  ground.  Near  the 
centre  Uriel  observed  a  collection  of 
large  and  gorgeously  decorated  tents, 
with  banners  and  flags  of  many  colors 
floating  above  and  about  them,  and 
understood  that  here  rested  the  royal 
household  in  luxurious  seclusion.  He 
could  see  also  that  soldiers  swarmed 
like  ants  at  various  points,  and  did 
not  fail  to  observe  the  captains  of  the 
hosts  and  lords  of  the  court  as  they 
drove  about  in  gilded  chariots  drawn 
by  splendid  horses. 

The  sight  was  one  to  fill  the  Assy- 
rian with  joy  and  pride,  and  the  He- 
brew with  grief  and  fear.  After  the 


92  In  Assyrian  Tents 

first  few  moments  of  absorbed  inter- 
est in  the  distant  scene,  Uriel  became 
more  depressed  and  disheartened 
than  at  any  previous  time.  How  use- 
less for  the  broken  people  of  Judah 
to  contend  with  the  mighty  Assy- 
rians! How  mad  to  dream  that  the 
invaders  could  be  put  to  flight  by  the 
death  of  their  king  at  the  hands  of 
a  Jew! 

Then  came  a  sudden  revival  of  hope 
as  the  despairing  youth  remembered 
how  in  an  earlier  and  happier  time 
the  king  of  the  Moabites,  looking 
down  from  a  hill  upon  another  great 
encampment,  had  called  upon  Balaam 
to  curse,  and  was  forced  to  hear  the 
prophet  bless  instead :  "  How  goodly 
are  thy  tents,  O  Jacob,  thy  taber- 
nacles, O  Israel!  As  the  valleys  are 
they  spread  forth,  as  gardens  by  the 


The  Captive's  Song  93 

river's  side,  as  the  trees  of  lign-aloes 
which  the  Lord  hath  planted,  as  cedar 
trees  beside  the  waters." 

As  the  words  of  this  blessing  upon 
his  warlike  ancestors  came  into  his 
mind,  Uriel  repeated  them  aloud, 
deeply  moved  and  standing  forth  in- 
cautiously with  flushed  cheeks,  his 
eyes  fixed  defiantly  upon  the  tents  of 
the  Assyrians. 

It  was  at  this  moment  that  the  de- 
cision whether  to  go  forward  or  turn 
back  was  taken  out  of  his  hands.  His 
ear  had  scarcely  caught  the  sound  of 
hurrying  feet  when  he  perceived  that 
he  was  surrounded  by  some  half- 
dozen  Assyrian  soldiers,  who  threat- 
ened him  with  uplifted  weapons.  See- 
ing that  resistance  was  useless,  Uriel 
checked  his  first  impulse  to  fight  his 
way  from  among  them,  and,  without 


94  In  Assyrian  Tents 

laying  a  hand  upon  a  weapon  of  his 
own,  he  stood  still,  signifying  that  he 
surrendered.  His  captors  showed 
anger  and  seemed  disposed  to  put  him 
to  death  without  delay. 

"  He  is  a  spy,"  said  one,  and  others 
repeated:  "  A  spy!  A  Jewish  spy!  " 

"  Thrust  him  through!  "  more  than 
one  demanded. 

"Nay,  not  yet,"  advised  cooler 
heads.  "  The  captains  will  desire  to 
question  him.  Let  us  lead  him  to  the 
camp." 

"  I  am  no  spy,"  said  Uriel  in  Assy- 
rian, "  but  am  here  to  beg  leave  to  go 
before  your  king  that  I  may  give  him 
news  for  which  he  will  thank  me." 

"  Then  thou  art  a  traitor  to  thine 
own  people." 

"Nay,"  said  Uriel,  struggling  to 
control  his  anger,  "I  am  neither 


The  Captive's  Song  95 

traitor  nor  spy.  I  come  to  warn  Sen- 
nacherib. It  will  be  well  for  him  if 
he  heed  my  warning,  and  well  for 
my  people  also." 

"  How  can  such  things  be?  Thou 
art  traitor  or  spy,  and  not  to  be 
trusted.  Come !  The  captains  of  our 
hosts  will  decide  thy  fate." 

They  bound  his  hands  behind  him, 
then  marched  him  down  the  hill  and 
into  the  Assyrian  camp,  the  nearer 
and  more  complete  view  of  which 
caused  the  watchful  captive  greater 
despondency  and  concern  than  ever. 
Clearly  these  Assyrians  were  a  mighty 
people  and  their  king  the  war-lord  of 
the  world.  Who  could  hope  to  pre- 
vail against  them  ? 

It  was  unfortunate  for  Uriel  that 
the  advance  guard  of  the  Assyrians 
sent  to  Jerusalem  had  returned  onlv 


96  In  Assyrian  Tents 

the  day  before,  bringing  the  news  that 
King  Hezekiah  had  dared  to  close 
his  gates,  had  refused  to  receive  Sen- 
nacherib's messengers  in  person,  and 
had  apparently  disdained  to  send 
even  an  answer  to  "  the  lord  of  the 
earth,  from  Asshur  sprung. "  It  was 
not  understood  that  Hezekiah  really 
trembled  at  the  name  of  Sennacherib, 
that  his  action  was  not  the  result  of 
insolent  defiance,  but  of  hesitation 
while  he  awaited  instruction  and 
counsel  from  the  prophet  Isaiah.  His 
silence  was  interpreted  by  the  Assy- 
rians as  a  contemptuous  refusal  to 
send  his  submission,  and  great  was 
their  wrath. 

"Let  Judah's  king  but  wait  till 
Sethos  of  Egypt  hath  kissed  my 
feet,"  Sennacherib  had  cried,  with 
scornful  laughter.  "  I  will  make  him 


The  Captive's  Song  97 

to  repent  a  thousand  times.  Humilia- 
tion and  heavy  tribute  are  not 
enough.  Even  death  would  be  too 
merciful.  This  time  he  shall  follow 
me  a  captive  to  Assyria  and  serve 
among  my  slaves  to  the  end  of  his 
days.  I,  Sennacherib,  have  spoken." 
This  speech  was  reported  through- 
out the  camp,  and  it  pleased  the  angry 
thousands.  Naturally  the  sight  of  a 
Jew  was  now  likely  to  stir  all  the 
revengeful  passions  of  the  veterans 
and  victors  of  many  wars.  Under 
other  circumstances  Uriel  might  have 
been  looked  upon  as  a  harmless  shep- 
herd who  had  stolen  near  out  of 
curiosity  to  look  with  wonder  and 
fear  upon  the  magnificent  encamp- 
ment of  his  country's  enemies.  But 
now  the  Assyrian  mood  was  danger- 
ous, and  there  could  be  little  hope  that 


9  8  In  Assyrian  Tents 

they  would  not  promptly  determine 
to  deal  with  him  as  a  spy. 

Uriel  was  not  slow  to  read  his  doom 
in  the  faces  of  the  half -score  of  cap- 
tains before  whom  he  was  led.  An 
immediate  court-martial  was  held  in 
a  large  tent  provided  for  such  pur- 
poses, soldiers  meanwhile  massed  in 
and  about  the  doorway.  A  young 
noble  and  distinguished  commander 
called  Tartan  advised  delay,  suggest- 
ing that  it  might  interest  Sennach- 
erib to  question  the  prisoner ;  and  as 
he  spoke  it  was  evident  that  Uriel's 
comely  face  and  dauntless  eye  had 
pleased  him.  But  the  proposal  was 
opposed  by  Rab-Shakeh,  another 
great  lord,  who  was  older  and  by 
nature  less  inclined  to  mercy.  It  was 
he  who  had  carried  Sennacherib's 
message  to  Jerusalem,  and  he  was 


The  Captive's  Song  99 

now  full  of  resentful  feelings  toward 
the  Jewish  king  and  people.  All  the 
captains  except  Tartan  taking  his 
view  of  the  matter,  sentence  of  imme- 
diate death  was  passed  on  Uriel. 

When  first  he  looked  into  the  stern 
and  pitiless  eyes  of  his  judges  Uriel 
trembled  inwardly  and  suffered  as 
only  the  young  and  strong  can  suffer 
in  the  face  of  certain  death.  But  he 
soon  grew  calm  enough  to  look  with 
something  akin  to  scorn  upon  their 
hair  and  beards,  which  were  all  alike 
and  all  hanging  in  the  same  curls, 
divided  and  twisted  with  elaborate 
care.  Could  the  men  who  indulged 
in  such  womanish  vanity  be  world- 
conquerors  after  all?  The  strange 
fashions  of  the  Assyrians  seemed  less 
offensive  in  Tartan,  who  was  young 
and  handsome.  But  if  he  had  not 


i  oo  In  Assyrian  Tents 

been  on  trial  for  his  life,  the  captive 
would  have  laughed  as  he  looked  at 
Rab-Shakeh,  whose  face  was  far  from 
comely,  who  was  stout,  and  who  was 
evidently  growing  old. 

"  Take  me  before  your  King,"  said 
Uriel,  boldly,  as  they  still  took  counsel 
what  to  do.  "I  come  to  bring  Sen- 
nacherib warning.  The  greatest  of 
prophets  hath  spoken  dire  words  con- 
cerning him." 

The  youth  scarcely  hoped  to  escape 
with  his  life,  but  he  now  determined 
to  do  the  deed  he  had  proposed  if  he 
could  gain  admittance  to  Sennach- 
erib. "  Death  would  be  easy,"  was 
his  thought,  "  if  I  could  first  rid  my 
country  of  the  oppressor." 

"  Thou  shalt  not  see  the  King," 
Rab-Shakeh  answered.  "  He  hath  no 
time  to  waste  on  vermin  such  as  thou. 


The  Captive's  Song  101 

Hope  not  to  deceive  us.  Thou  art  a 
Jew,  and  yet  thou  speakest  the  Assy- 
rian. This  is  proof  that  thou  art  sent 
hither  as  a  spy.  Thou  hast  convicted 
thyself  out  of  thine  own  mouth,  and 
shalt  die." 

"Lead  me  first  to  Sennacherib," 
persisted  Uriel.  ' '  I  know  that  which 
he  should  hear — the  word  of  the  pro- 
phet Isaiah." 

"  Tell  us  what  thou  knowest,  and 
the  King  shall  hear  it,"  said  Tartan, 
fixing  upon  the  captive  a  not  un- 
friendly eye. 

Uriel  was  silent,  losing  heart  at 
this  proposal. 

"  Aha,  thou  art  again  self -con- 
victed! "  cried  Rab-ShakeK.  "  Pre- 
pare to  die.  We  give  thee  one  hour 
to  commune  with  thy  gods." 

There  was  no  dissenting  voice,  al- 


io2  In  Assyrian  Tents 

though  Tartan  clearly  was  not  satis- 
fied, and  Uriel  surrendered  hope.  It 
was  all  over,  then.  His  mission  had 
failed.  His  death  would  not  profit 
his  country  and  would  only  bring  last- 
ing sorrow  to  his  mother  and  his 
friends.  Tears  welled  up  in  his  eyes 
and  rolled  down  his  cheeks  as  he 
thought  of  the  grief -stricken  home  in 
Jerusalem.  To  die  thus  ingloriously 
was  hard,  bitter.  He  had  hoped  to 
free  his  country  from  the  oppressor, 
and  then,  if  through  some  miracle  of 
fortune  he  should  be  preserved,  to  re- 
turn and  be  saluted  as  a  hero  by  all 
his  people,  even  as  he  had  been  sa- 
luted by  the  three  old  men  ere  they 
sent  him  forth  from  Jerusalem.  But 
now — he  had  failed  of  his  purpose 
and  was  to  die  unknown ! 
In  those  first  few  moments  of  despair 


The  Captive's  Song  103 

the  mind  of  the  unfortunate  youth 
was  filled  with  bitterness  and  with  re- 
bellion against  the  hard  fate  ap- 
pointed for  him.  Why  did  not  the 
God  of  Judah  protect  him?  It  was 
true  he  had  at  times  been  tempted 
with  the  thought  of  fame ;  but  he  well 
knew  that  his  first  impulse  was  un- 
selfish, that  his  desire  was  solely  to 
save  his  people  and  protect  the  holy 
Temple  from  the  touch  of  profane 
hands.  It  was  hard ;  it  was  bitter. 

From  such  thoughts  he  tended 
gradually  toward  greater  humility 
and  resignation.  He  reminded  him- 
self that  his  persistence,  after  he 
knew  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  was 
presumptuous,  it  might  be  even  blas- 
phemous, and  that  he  should  accept 
his  present  helpless  situation  as  a 
merited  rebuke.  And  the  God  of 


1 04  In  Assyrian  Tents 

Judah  was  the  God  of  the  dead  as  well 
as  of  the  living.  Death  was  not  the 
end,  and,  living  or  dead,  he  was  in  the 
hands  of  God.  Whatever  his  fate, 
should  he  not  pray  to  be  upheld  by  a 
willing  and  trusting  spirit  ?  He  strug- 
gled hard  to  attain  resignation,  but 
he  was  so  young — it  was  pitiful ! 

"  Give  me  yon  harp,"  he  said  at 
last,  his  voice  shaken  with  emotion. 

Thinking  that  he  would  sing  his 
death  song,  and  respecting  his  wish, 
Tartan  directed  that  a  harp  be 
brought  from  the  farther  side  of  the 
tent,  and,  taking  it,  he  placed  it  in 
the  captive's  outstretched  hands. 

The  sun  was  setting  and  its  red 
glow  streamed  across  the  bit  of  sky 
visible  above  the  heads  of  the  soldiers 
in  the  doorway,  reminding  Uriel  that 
he  was  to  see  the  glorious  luminary 


The  Captive's  Song  105 

rise  no  more  above  his  native  Mils. 
Shaken  with  suppressed  sobs,  the 
youth  made  haste  to  sweep  his  fingers 
over  the  harpstrings,  and  the  sounds 
given  forth  were  prompt  to  soothe 
and  calm  him. 

Looking  away  from  his  enemies 
and  thinking  of  his  home  in  Jeru- 
salem, he  improvised  a  melody  in  a 
minor  key;  then  accompanied  him- 
self as  he  sang  in  a  voice  of  great 
beauty,  and  with  deep  feeling,  the  de- 
vout and  hopeful  words  of  the  psalm 
of  David  which  begins : 

"  I  lift  up  mine  eyes  unto  the  mountains, 
From  whence  cometh  my  help." 

It  was  a  sight  to  move  even  the 
hearts  of  Assyrian  conquerors — this 
fair  youth  standing  on  the  brink  of 
death,  yet  singing  with  the  voice  of 
an  angel  such  words  of  hope  and  con- 


1 06  In  Assyrian  Tents 

fidence  in  his  God.  Some  of  the  lis- 
tening captains,  particularly  such  as 
were  acquainted  with  the  Hebrew 
tongue,  were  visibly  moved,  and  when 
the  last  note  sounded  Tartan  said 
solemnly : 

"Verily  thou  canst  sing  words  to 
charm  all  gods  in  tones  to  charm  all 
men.  Sing  more." 

So  Uriel  varied  his  minor  melody 
to  one  even  more  touching — a  very 
tragedy  of  supplication — and  sang 
further,  beginning  thus : 

"  Hear  my  cry,  O  God,  hearken  to  my  prayer; 
From  the  end  of  the  earth  I  call  unto  thee. 
When  my  heart  faileth,  when  my  soul  fainteth, 
Lead  me  to  the  rock  that  is  higher  than  I." 

As  he  put  down  the  harp  and 
turned  to  them  quietly  and  patiently, 
Uriel  observed  that  several  of  the  As- 
syrian captains  spoke  together  in  low 


The  Captive's  Song  107 

tones.  Then  Tartan  called  out  so  that 
all  might  hear : 

"  This  Jew  shall  not  die  to-day. 
The  King  must  see  and  hear  him." 

"  'Tis  well  said,"  assented  others. 
"  Let  him  first  sing  his  songs  before 
the  King,  for  the  King  loveth  a  singer 
such  as  he." 

"  Thy  life  is  given  back  to  thee  un- 
til to-morrow,"  said  Rab-Shakeh  at 
last,  reluctantly.  "  Then  the  King 
himself  will  consider  thy  case  and 
pass  judgment." 

"  I  thank  thee,"  said  Uriel,  as  if  in 
answer  to  Rab-Shakeh,  but  looking  at 
Tartan,  who  wondered  at  his  calm 
and  patient  manner  at  such  a  time. 

"  Guard  him  well,"  said  Tartan  to 
the  soldiers  at  the  door,  "but  deal 
with  him  gently  till  ye  have  my 
word." 


CHAPTER  VI 

BEFORE    THE    ASSYRIAN    KING 

IN  THE  opinion  of  the  Assyrian  arch- 
ers no  prouder,  more  magnificent,  or 
more  impregnable  camp  had  ever 
been  seen  by  the  eye  of  man,  yet  on 
a  certain  morning  there  was  no  com- 
fort in  this  fact  for  its  commander, 
the  famed  Sennacherib.  In  the 
guarded  purlieus  of  the  inner  royal 
encampment,  and  in  the  great  and 
gorgeous  royal  tent  itself,  instead  of 
pride  and  satisfaction,  there  were 
now  perplexity  and  gloom. 

The  King  had  dreamed  an  evil 
dream,  which  neither  priests  nor 
soothsayers  could  interpret;  and 
after  fruitless  interviews  with  both, 
he  lay  prostrate  among  his  silken 


Before  the  Assyrian  King        109 

cushions,  his  hair  undressed  and  his 
eyes  bloodshot,  oppressed  with  fore- 
bodings of  some  unknown  and  fear- 
ful calamity.  He  was  now  quite  alone, 
having  ordered  all  his  comforters — 
even  Kab-Saris,  the  chief  eunuch — to 
depart. 

But  solitude  had  brought  no  relief. 
His  depression,  far  from  abating,  had 
increased.  The  very  silence  seemed 
loud  with  mocking,  accusing,  threat- 
ening voices.  So  when  a  real  voice 
was  heard  behind  the  gold-embroid- 
ered curtains  of  Tyrian  purple,  en- 
treating that  Tiglathi-Mn,  the  priest, 
might  enter,  the  King  answered, 
granting  leave. 

The  curtains  parted  and  a  man  of 
middle  age,  with  a  long  curled  beard 
and  the  flowing  garments  of  a  priest, 
entered  the  royal  bed-chamber,  pros- 


no  In  Assyrian  Tents 

trated  himself  on  the  carpeted  ground, 
and,  rising,  begged  leave  to  speak. 
Sennacherib's  face  was  turned  away 
and  he  did  not  stir,  but  he  asked  im- 
patiently: 

"  Hast  thou  come  to  bring  more 
guesses  from  the  soothsayers  ?  If  so, 
return  again  and  tell  them  that  I 
know  them  for  the  impostors  they  are 
and  will  have  a  reckoning  with  them 
that  they  will  long  remember." 

"  Nay,  mighty  King,  not  so.  I 
come  to  entreat  that  thou  wilt  rise 
and  wash  thy  face  and  eat  and  go 
forth.  Let  thy  servants  attire  thee  in 
the  robes  that  become  thy  majesty. 
Partake  of  thy  noblest  wine  and  let 
there  be  music  and  dancing.  Let  thy 
handmaidens  comfort  thee.  Go  forth 
in  thy  chariot;  look  upon  the  multi- 
tude of  thy  tents  and  thy  crowding 


Before  the  Assyrian  King        1 1 1 

archers  who  cannot  be  numbered. 
Then  the  evil  demon  will  depart  from 
thee  and  thou  wilt  be  thyself  once 
more — the  invincible  king  of  men, 
from  Asshur  sprung." 

"  I  do  not  say  thou  hast  not  spoken 
well,  Tiglathi-Nin,"  replied  Sennach- 
erib; "but  I  loathe  the  thought  of 
food  and  wine,  of  women  I  will  have 
none,  and  to  look  upon  the  camp  and 
the  proofs  of  my  power  is  but  to  be- 
hold mocking  vanity.  Leave  me, 
therefore,  to  my  evil  affliction." 

"  Deign  to  hear,  O  King,"  per- 
sisted Tiglathi-Nin.  "  The  report  of 
thy  distemper  hath  filled  the  whole 
camp  with  gloom,  and  the  bravest 
men  are  low  in  spirit.  Should  the 
Egyptian  and  the  Jew  combine  to  at- 
tack us  now,  calamity  might  indeed 
overwhelm  us." 


ii2  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  And  so  the  prophecy  of  my  evil 
dream  come  to  fulfilment. " 

"Nay,  say  not  so,"  begged  Tigla- 
thi-Mn.  * '  Not  all  our  dreams  are  the 
warnings  of  offended  gods.  Men  say 
that  the  physicians  of  Egypt  trace 
many  evil  dreams  to  a  stomach  too 
much  distended  by  food  and  wine, 
and  'tis  well  known  that  a  sickness 
may  overtake  that  part  of  us  even 
when  we  have  not  eaten  heavily.  Per- 
adventure  thy  distemper  is  but  an 
affliction  of  the  body  that  will  quickly 
pass." 

"  Tiglathi-Nin,  I  drink  much  wine, 
but,  as  thou  knowest,  I  am  not  glut- 
tonous. Thou  speakest  as  though  to 
a  eunuch  of  bloated  body  who  stuffs 
himself  with  food  and  fattens  like 
the  stalled  ox." 

"Pardon,  great  King,"  cried  the 


Before  the  Assyrian  King        1 1 3 

priest  in  haste,  amazed  that  the  "  lord 
of  the  earth  "  should  receive  the  sug- 
gestion so  patiently.  "  I  meant  not 
so.  Thou  art  young  and  slender  and 
like  an  arrow  for  straightness.  All 
men  know  that  thy  delight  is  in  war, 
the  chase,  and  wine — not  food." 

"  What  god  or  demon  have  I  of- 
fended?" mused  Sennacherib,  still 
lying  upon  his  side  with  face  averted. 
"  Would  I  could  command  the  wis- 
dom to  interpret  the  things  shown  me 
in  my  dream." 

"  If  thou  wouldst  deign  to  listen  to 
another  soothsayer,"  said  Tiglathi- 
Nrn,  "  let  me  summon  the  young  Jew. 
I  hear  from  Tartan  and  Rab-Shakeh 
that  this  boy  hath  sworn  that  he  can 
interpret  thy  dream." 

"Who  is  he?  one  of  my  Jewish 
slaves?" 


H4  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  Nay,  he  was  brought  a  captive 
into  the  camp  but  yesterday.  'Tis 
said  the  captains  would  have  slain 
him  had  he  not  played  the  harp  and 
sung  with  such  surpassing  sweet- 


ness.' 


A  skilled  harper  and  pretended 
soothsayer,  yet  but  a  boy?  Sennach- 
erib stirred  and  was  plainly  inter- 
ested. 

"  Let  him  be  brought  before  me," 
he  said.  "  If  he  cannot  interpret  my 
dream,  his  songs  may  please  me.  I 
have  wished  for  new  songs,  for  my 
harpers  weary  me  with  their  repeti- 
tions. And  if  he  hath  the  spirit  of 
prophecy,  he  may,  indeed,  speak  wise- 
ly ;  for  I  doubt  not  it  is  a  god  of  this 
region  that  troubleth  me,  and  the  skill 
of  a  local  prophet  may  be  required. 
Let  him  come.  Bring  him  quickly." 


Before  the  Assyrian  King        1 1 5 

"  I  haste  to  do  the  will  of  my  lord," 
said  Tiglathi-Mn,  well  pleased.  And 
although  the  face  of  Sennacherib  was 
still  averted,  the  priest  prostrated 
himself,  touching  his  brow  to  the 
ground,  and,  having  risen,  walked 
backward  out  of  the  royal  presence. 

The  displaced  silken  hangings  fell 
together  again,  and  the  Assyrian  king 
was  once  more  left  alone,  screened 
from  the  view  of  all  eyes.  Though 
his  bed-chamber  was  in  a  tent  and 
part  of  a  movable  camp,  it  more  than 
suggested  the  rude  magnificence  of  an 
oriental  court  of  that  period.  The 
curtains  of  the  four  sides  were  of 
wool  and  silk,  richly  embroidered 
with  gold  and  silver  threads,  forming 
here  and  there  the  figures  of  men  and 
beasts  in  war  and  hunting  scenes. 
There  were  couches,  tables,  and  chairs 


1 1 6  In  Assyrian  Tents 

inlaid  with  ivory  and  gold,  coverlets 
of  knitted  peacock  plumes,  vessels  of 
gold,  footstools  of  ebony  adorned  with 
mother-of-pearl,  and  the  blue  canopy 
over  the  bed  glittered  with  gems. 

When  Tiglathi-Nin  again  pre- 
sented himself  Sennacherib  had 
risen,  seated  himself  among  the  scar- 
let cushions  of  a  cedar  couch,  and  his 
face  was  no  longer  averted.  It  was 
the  handsome  yet  strong  and  deter- 
mined face  of  a  man  still  in  the  prime 
of  his  youth.  All  this  was  clear  at  a 
glance  in  spite  of  the  suffering  and 
perplexity  suggested  by  the  frown 
that  wrinkled  his  brow  and  the  ex- 
pression of  mingled  sadness  and  fear 
in  his  eyes.  He  looked  up  eagerly  as 
the  priest  entered  and  bowed  before 
him. 

"My  lord,  the  young  Jew  waits 
without." 


Before  the  Assyrian  King       1 1 7 

"  Summon  him." 

The  heavy  curtains  parted  at  the 
call  of  Tiglathi-Mn,  and  the  captive 
stood  before  his  judge. 

"What  is  thy  name?" 

"Uriel" 

"  What  dost  thou  here?  " 

"  I  am  a  captive  in  thy  camp,  and 
have  heard  report  of  thy  evil  dream. 
Peradventure  I  can  interpret  it,  hav- 
ing heard  within  but  a  few  days  a 
sure  prophecy  concerning  thee. 
Therefore  I  begged  to  be  brought  .be- 
fore thee." 

"  Then  thou  art  not  thyself  a  sooth- 
sayer? " 

"  Nay,  my  lord.  As  thou  seest,  I  am 
but  a  youth." 

"  But  not  too  young  to  be  a  spy." 

"  Hear,  O  King,  I  came  not  to  spy 
upon  and  carry  reports  of  thy  de- 
fenses— " 


1 1 8  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  Yet  'tis  said  my  captains  would 
have  slain  thee  as  a  spy  hadst  thou  not 
sung  surpassing  well.  Before  I  ques- 
tion thee  further,  sing  to  me  the  song 
that  saved  thy  life." 

A  harp  was  brought  and  Uriel  wil- 
lingly obeyed,  singing  the  hymn  to 
God  upon  ' '  the  mountains. ' ?  Invited 
to  continue,  he  rendered  the  touching 
supplication  of  the  poor  human  crea- 
ture, beset  with  trouble  and  fear,  who 
cried  out  to  his  God  "  from  the  end 
of  the  earth,"  beseeching  that  when 
his  heart  failed  utterly  he  might  be 
led  to  "  the  rock  that  is  higher  than 
I."  From  the  outset  the  youth  sang 
with  deep  feeling,  but  as  hope  and 
confidence  rose  within  him  from  the 
influence  of  the  music  and  words  of 
his  song  he  felt  strangely  uplifted, 
and  there  was  more  than  deep  feel- 


Before  the  Assyrian  King       1 19 

ing,  there  was  exultation,  in  his  tones. 
David's  song  of  deliverance  from  his 
enemies  became  almost  a  shout  of 
triumph  in  the  mouth  of  Uriel.  The 
confiding  youth  forgot  Hezekiah's 
weakness  and  Sennacherib's  strength, 
and  he  looked  like  one  inspired  as  he 
sang:  "  The  Lord  is  my  rock,  and 
my  fortress,  and  my  deliverer;  my 
God,  my  strength,  in  whom  I  will 
trust ;  my  buckler  and  the  horn  of  my 
salvation,  my  high  tower." 

Sennacherib  was  no  less  moved 
than  his  captains  had  been,  but  more 
by  the  beauty  of  the  singer's  voice, 
his  grace  and  winning  manner,  than 
by  his  theme.  The  latter  impressed 
him,  however,  for  turning  to  Tiglathi- 
Mn  he  said : 

"  Behold  a  mortal  such  as  the  gods 
approve."  Then  to  Uriel:  "  Thy 


1 20  In  Assyrian  Tents 

gods  should  be  well  pleased  with 
thee." 

"  I  hope,  but  dare  not  believe  that 
He  may  be,"  was  the  answer  with 
downcast  eyes. 

"  And  which  of  the  gods  of  thy  peo- 
ple is  it  that  thou  dost  so  reverence  ?  " 

"  My  people  acknowledge  but  one 
God,  and  there  is  none  other." 

"  Strange!"  cried  Sennacherib, 
and  then  he  smiled.  "  Thy  people  are 
poor  and  weak,  indeed,  if  they  have 
but  one  god.  We  of  Assyria  have 
thousands.  Even  the  Egyptians  have 
gods  in  great  numbers." 

"  They  are  not  gods,  but  the  vain 
imaginations  of  men,  or — it  may  be — 
spirits  of  evil." 

"What  sayest  thou?"  demanded 
Sennacherib  sharply,  although  he  lis- 
tened with  amused  tolerance,  "  A 


Before  the  Assyrian  King       1 2 1 

strange  people  are  these  Jews,"  he  re- 
marked to  Tiglathi-Mn,  then  turned 
again  to  Uriel:  "  What  is  the  name 
of  this  thy  one  God?" 

"  We  know  His  name,  but  do  not 
speak  it,  for  it  is  holy." 

"I  have  heard  the  name,"  said 
Tiglathi-Mn.  "  It  is  Jehovah." 

"What  will  ye  do,"  asked  Sen- 
nacherib, "  when  I  have  taken  away 
from  your  temples  the  images  and 
holy  vessels  of  Jehovah?  What  will 
be  left  you  if  ye  have  no  other  god? 
Knowest  thou  not  that  I  take  not  only 
whole  nations  captive  but  their  gods 
also  ?  For  the  gods  follow  their  im- 
ages and  holy  vessels  to  Nineveh,  and 
thus  I  add  continually  to  the  number 
of  the  gods  of  Assyria." 

Uriel  turned  pale  and  looked  on 
the  ground. 


122  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  Pardon,  O  King,"  he  said  after 
some  moments  of  visible  agitation, 
"but  I  beg  that  thou  wilt  speak  of 
other  things.  I  fear  to  listen  to  words 
of  such  blasphemy.  If  a  Jew  spoke 
thus  he  would  be  stricken  by  a  bolt 
from  heaven,  but  thou — pardon,  great 
King — thou  knowest  not  what  thou 
sayest.  The  one  God  of  Judah  is  the 
only  God  of  heaven  and  the  whole 
earth." 

Sennacherib  laughed  aloud. 

"  Yet  He  fled  in  fear  of  me  and  my 
father!  Where  was  He  when  I  shut 
your  king  in  Jerusalem,  took  forty- 
six  of  your  fenced  towns,  and  carried 
away  two  hundred  thousand  of  your 
people  captive  ?  Where  was  He  when 
my  father,  the  great  Sargon,  took  the 
ten  tribes  of  Israel  from  Samaria  and 
scattered  them  broadcast  the  earth?  " 


Before  the  Assyrian  King       1 23 

"He  was,  as  men  say,  asleep," 
sadly  answered  Uriel.  "He  aban- 
doned us  because  of  our  sins,  but 
when  we  have  atoned  He  will  avenge 
us  as  He  so  often  did  aforetime." 

"  Thou  art  young  and  innocent  and 
hast  faith  in  a  fable ;  but  I  would  not 
rob  thee  of  the  poor  comfort  such 
faith  may  give  thee,  for  thou  hast 
pleased  me." 

"  I  thank  my  lord,  the  King,"  said 
Uriel,  humbly. 

"  It  is  a  fable,  and  yet,"  continued 
Sennacherib,  "  some  god  or  demon  of 
this  region  hath  troubled  me  in  my 
sleep.  I  am  sprung  from  Asshur,  god 
of  gods.  He  is  lord  of  heaven,  I  am 
lord  of  earth,  and  there  is  no  war  be- 
tween us ;  yet  some  fell  influence  hath 
troubled  my  soul.  This  is  strange, 
indeed.  I  will  tell  thee  of  my  evil 


124  In  Assyrian  Tents 

dream,  and  if  so  be  thou  canst  inter- 
pret it  thou  shalt  have  thy  reward." 
So  Uriel  stood  in  silence  and  lis- 
tened to  the  strange  recital  of  the 
King  of  Assyria. 


CHAPTER  VII 

SENNACHERIB'S  DREAM 
"  IN  THE  midst  of  the  night,"  began 
Sennacherib,  "  I  dreamed  a  fearful 
dream  of  blood  and  smoke  and  fire 
and  death.  I  seemed  to  stand  upon  a 
lofty  hill  whence  I  could  see  my 
proud  encampment  stilled  in  sleep. 
And  as  I  looked,  lo,  there  went  up  a 
mournful  sound  of  groans  or  cries 
that  seemed  to  come  from  the  four 
quarters  of  the  world.  It  filled  me 
with  the  anguish  of  despair,  for  me- 
thought  I  heard  the  sigh  of  the  gods 
themselves  who  mourned  over  the 
calamity  appointed  for  the  Assyrian 
hosts.  It  came  again,  this  mournful 
cry,  and  then  in  sweating  agony  I 
heard  a  mighty  roar  that  seemed  to 


126  In  Assyrian  Tents 

split  the  very  world  in  twain.  And, 
lo,  the  heavens  opened  wide  and  fire 
rained  out  upon  this  camp — not  gent- 
ly like  the  rain  on  forest  lands  in 
summer  time,  but  in  vast  torrents 
wreathed  in  sulphurous  smoke,  which 
shook  and  blinded  me.  The  jarring 
thunders,  the  maddening  glare,  the 
black  and  deadly  clouds,  begat  such 
throes  of  fear  that  I,  even  I,  the  king 
of  men,  fell  prone  upon  the  ground 
bereft  of  sense  or  feeling  like  the 
dead. 

"  Anon  I  seemed  to  live  again,  and, 
lo,  I  stood  within  the  confines  of  the 
camp  itself  and  looked  on  fire  and 
smoke  and  death,  on  shrieking 
women,  fleeing  men,  wild  snorting 
horses,  and  chariots  overturned  and 
wrecked.  All  fled  before  a  mottled, 
copper  cloud  of  flaming  fire  and  eddy- 


Sennacherib's  Dream          1 2  7 

ing  smoke  that  moved  low  on  the 
ground,  blasting  whatever  it  touched 
with  death.  My  proudest  legions  fell 
before  it  like  yellowed  sedge  before 
devouring  flame,  and  when  it  passed, 
lo,  I  beheld  their  blasted  corpses 
thickly  strewn  across  far  black  and 
smoking  vistas. 

"  This  vision  faded,  and  methought 
I  lay  alone  and  desolate  in  a  barren 
land,  bowed  to  the  earth  by  the  knowl- 
edge that  my  army  was  destroyed  and 
my  empire  wrested  from  me.  I  cried 
aloud  to  Asshur  and  he  heard  me  not. 
I  called  on  Anu,  Hoa,  Sin,  Shamas, 
Bel,  Nergal,  Nin,  and  begged  that  if  I 
had  offended  the  least  one  of  the  four 
thousand  gods  of  the  earth  and  sky, 
my  sin  should  be  uncovered  before 
mine  eyes  that  I  might  make  atone- 
ment. But  there  was  no  answer,  and 


128  In  Assyrian  Tents 

the  silence  smote  me  as  if  with  a 
mighty  club.  I  grovelled  miserably 
on  the  ground,  I  fainted  from  terror 
of  the  unseen  powers  that  over- 
whelmed me — and  so  awoke. 

"  Now,  what  mean  these  sorrowful 
visions,  these  unknown  humiliations, 
that  have  afflicted  in  his  sleep  the 
greatest  of  earthly  kings?  " 

The  eyes  of  both  the  Assyrian  mon- 
arch and  Tiglathi-Mn,  the  priest, 
were  now  fastened  upon  Uriel,  who 
had  stood  and  listened  with  growing 
interest  and  excitement. 

"They  mean,"  said  he,  "if  the 
King  permit  free  speech,  that  thy 
hosts  are  doomed  and  that  thou  wilt 
curse  the  day  when  thou  didst  lift  thy 
hand  against  Jerusalem.  Thy  dream 
is  but  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah  in  an- 
other form." 


Sennacherib's  Dream  1 29 

"  What  saith  this  Hebrew  pro- 
phet?" 

"  He  saith  that  Judah's  God  hath 
promised  to  send  a  blast  uponthee — " 

"A  i  blast'?"  echoed  Sennach- 
erib. "  It  was  a  fiery  blast  that  in 
my  dream  descended  on  this  camp. 
But  there  are  no  such  blasts  outside 
of  dreams.  The  only  blast  the  men 
of  this  region  have  to  fear  is  the 
simoon  from  the  southern  deserts. 
Such  hot  wind  may  torture  us  with 
heat  and  thirst  and  the  breathing  of 
desert  dust,  but  it  can  bring  no  death- 
dealing  blast  of  fire." 

"I  know  not  the  nature  of  this 
coming  *  blast, ":'  said  Uriel,  "but 
come  it  will,  I  know,  as  surely  as  the 
stars  will  travel  on  unwearied  in  their 
courses.  Therefore,  get  thee  up  and 
flee,  O  King,  while  there  is  time." 


1 30  In  Assyrian  Tents 

The  youth  spoke  as  one  inspired, 
and  his  listeners,  half  believing,  were 
thrilled  with  momentary  fear.  Sen- 
nacherib made  haste  to  ask : 

"  Said  the  Hebrew  prophet  no 
more?  '! 

"  Ay,  he  said  that  our  mighty  God 
had  promised  to  put  a  hook  in  thy 
nose  and  a  bridle  in  thy  lips,  and  that 
He  would  turn  thee  back  by  the  way 
which  thou  earnest." 

"What  sayest  thou?"  cried  Sen- 
nacherib, starting  to  his  feet,  and  by 
his  threatening  manner  causing  Uriel 
to  retreat  backward.  "Am  I  a  vile 
slave,  am  I  a  brute  beast,  to  be  thus 
scorned  and  mocked?  " 

"Hear,  O  King,  "cried  Uriel.  "I 
have  but  spoken  at  thy  bidding  and 
told  thee  truly  all  I  have  heard,  that 
thou  mightest  be  warned." 


Sennacherib's  Dream  131 

"  By  Asshur !  I  will  have  this  inso- 
lent prophet's  life,"  vowed  the  Assy- 
rian king.  "  I  will  track  him  to  his 
lair,  and  let  him  taste  the  blast  of  a 
fiery  furnace  more  real  than  that  with 
which  he  dares  to  threat  me.  And 
King  Hezekiah — not  I — shall  have  a 
hook  in  his  nose  and  a  bridle  in  his 
lips,  as  he  doth  follow  me  on  foot  to 
Nineveh.  As  for  the  puny  god  of  this 
rebellious  land,  I  defy  and  curse  him 
and  will  raze  his  temples  to  the 
ground." 

At  these  last  words,  spoken  in  loud 
and  furious  tones,  Uriel  turned  away 
his  eyes,  covering  his  ears  with  his 
hands,  while  the  Assyrian  priest  fear- 
fully and  hurriedly  interposed. 

"  I  rejoice  to  see  that  the  King  of 
men  is  himself  once  more,"  said  Tig- 
lathi-Nin,  "but  I  pray  that  he  will 


1 3  2  In  Assyrian  Tents 

not  in  his  anger  curse  the  least  of 
gods,  for  even  the  least  of  gods  have 
power  to  strike  in  sudden  and  unfore- 
seen ways.  And  visit  not  thy  wrath, 
I  beg  of  thee,  upon  this  boy,  who 
hath  spoken  at  thy  command  as  best 
he  could,  and,  indeed,  hath  done  well 
to  warn  thee." 

"  I  bear  him  no  ill-will  and  would 
do  him  no  hurt,"  said  Sennacherib,  at 
once  diverted  and  his  anger  cooling. 
"  Nay,"  he  added,  resuming  his  seat, 
"  I  am  well  pleased  with  him,  and  if 
he  will  but  be  faithful  to  me,  riches 
and  honors  shall  be  his." 

"  This  captive  Jew?  "  cried  Tigla- 
thi-Mn,  amazed. 

"  Even  he.  It  is  my  wish  that  he 
stay  beside  me,  not  as  a  captive  slave, 
but  as  a  sweet  musician,  ay,  and  as  a 
friend,  and  some  day  as  a  valued 


Sennacherib's  Dream  1 3  3 

counsellor.  Uriel,  wilt  thou  be  faith- 
ful to  me  for  the  good-will  I  bear  thee 
and  for  all  that  I  will  do  for  thee?  " 

"  My  lord,  the  King,  is  too  good  to 
his  servant,"  said  Uriel,  evasively, 
much  troubled. 

"  Take  him,"  said  Sennacherib  to 
the  priest,  "  and  give  orders  that  he 
be  clothed  in  fine  raiment  and  made 
ready  to  go  with  me  as  I  drive  forth 
to  view  the  camp." 

Tiglathi-NIn  perceived  that  the 
captive  youth  had  won  his  way  to  the 
heart  of  the  Assyrian  monarch,  who 
was  given  to  sudden  attachments ;  and 
he  well  knew  that  objection  from  any 
quarter  would  be  worse  than  useless, 
but  he  nevertheless  made  bold  to  utter 
a  word  of  caution. 

"Nay, — if  the  King  permit  free 
speech, — go  not  too  fast  in  this  affair. 


1 34  In  Assyrian  Tents 

Let  the  young  Jew's  fidelity  first  be 
tested." 

"  I  have  spoken,"  replied  Sennach- 
erib with  a  final  air  that  could  not  be 
mistaken. 

Turning  away,  he  sounded  a  gong 
— the  signal  for  the  coming  of  his 
eunuchs  to  bathe  and  dress  him  for 
the  day;  and  as  the  priest  and  the 
youth  bowed  themselves  out,  he 
looked  earnestly  at  his  own  face  re- 
flected upon  the  highly  polished  sur- 
face of  a  plate  of  silver  which  served 
him  as  a  mirror. 

But  Tiglathi-Mn  spoke  his  mind 
more  freely  as  he  led  the  new  favorite 
to  an  adjoining  tent.  "  The  King 
finds  pleasure  in  thy  music,  in  thy 
fair  youth,  and  in  thy  speech,"  he 
said,  "  and  will  deal  well  with  thee. 
But  remember  that  though  he  may 


Sennacherib's  Dream          1 3  5 

see  innocence  and  good  faith  in  thine 
eye,  others  will  not  trust  thee.  Thou 
art  a  stranger  and  a  Jew.  Bemember 
that  when  thou  art  near  the  King  un- 
seen eyes  will  keep  sleepless  watch 
upon  thee,  and  if  thou  dost  lift  thy 
hand  against  Sennacherib,  that  mo- 
ment an  arrow  will  pierce  thy  heart. 
Thou  art  warned." 

Uriel  shuddered  and  turned  sick, 
not  because  of  the  dangers  that  beset 
him,  but  because  of  his  secret  design 
against  a  king  who  had  so  favored 
him. 

The  tent  into  which  he  was  led,  and 
which  he  was  told  to  call  his  own 
during  the  King's  pleasure,  was  hung 
with  Tyrian  purple  and  richly  fur- 
nished, being  a  part  of  the  inner  royal 
camp.  He  noted  this  indifferently 
and  submitted  with  an  absent  air,  al- 


1 36  In  Assyrian  Tents 

most  believing  that  lie  dreamed,  as  the 
robes  of  an  Assyrian  noble  were  put 
upon  him  and  his  attendants  set  be- 
fore him  sumptuous  food  brought 
from  the  King's  own  table,  much  of 
which  he  knew  he  might  not  eat  with- 
out offending  against  the  customs  of 
his  people. 

He  had  prospered  beyond  his  fond- 
est hopes.  He  would  have  free  access 
to  the  King  and  would  no  doubt  soon 
find  the  opportunity  he  sought.  And 
yet  the  accomplishment  of  his  design 
appeared  more  than  ever  difficult. 
He  had  expected  a  fierce  and  cruel 
tyrant  who  could  be  hated  on  sight, 
but  had  found  instead  a  kindly  mon- 
arch who  wished  to  be  a  friend.  Sen- 
nacherib was,  indeed,  a  blasphemer, 
but  was  it  not  through  ignorance  ?  He 
was  a  proud  world-conqueror,  desir- 


Sennacherib's  Dream          137 

ing  all  nations  to  bow  before  Mm,  but 
what  more  could  be  expected  of  the 
son  of  the  great  Sargon?  Uriel  was 
sorely  troubled. 

"  Yet  though  I  love  him,"  cried  the 
youth  within  himself  at  last,  "  still 
will  I  strike  him  for  my  country's 
sake.  But,  oh,  that  I  might  slay  him 
in  battle  and  not  by  stealth!  " 


CHAPTER  VIII 

A  SLAVE  SET  FREE 

ABOUT  mid-afternoon  Uriel  was  sum- 
moned to  the  royal  tent,  and  there 
found  Sennacherib  ready  to  drive 
forth  and  review  his  archers.  Every 
trace  of  anxiety  and  gloom  had  left 
him,  and  he  greeted  the  favored  youth 
with  cheerful  smiles. 

"  The  demon  is  exorcised,"  he  said. 
"Whether  the  sacrifices  to  Asshur 
brought  relief,  or  whether  my  anger 
against  thy  prophet  and  thy  King  re- 
stored me  to  myself,  I  know  not.  But 
I  no  longer  fear,  and  my  purpose  to 
humble  Hezekiah  of  Judea  and 
Sethos  of  Egypt  is  stronger  than  be- 
fore. Thy  country  I  have  sworn  to 
subdue,  but  to  thee  in  person,  Uriel, 


A  Slave  Set  Free  139 

I  will  make  amends  by  raising  thee 
to  a  place  of  honor  near  my  throne, 
for  thou  dost  please  me  well.  When 
the  war  is  done,  thou  shalt  go  with 
me  to  Nineveh  and  become  my  most 
favored  minister." 

"Nay,  my  lord,"  begged  Uriel, 
"  rather  let  me  go  as  thy  slave  if  thou 
wilt  spare  my  country." 

"  For  such  a  spirit  I  like  thee  all 
the  more.  Would  that  I  might  have 
sons  like  unto  thee.  But  fear  not, 
Uriel,  I  will  soon  teach  thee  to  forget 
that  thou  art  a  Jew  and  to  be  glad  of 
my  favor." 

But  Uriel  turned  away  from  the 
smile  of  the  King,  and  answered  sol- 
emnly : 

"  Never  can  I  forget  that  I  am  a 
son  of  Judah  or  that  the  God  of  Israel 
is  my  God.  And  who  can  promise,  O 


1 40  In  Assyrian  Tents 

King,  that  thy  gracious  favor  will 
outlast  the  year?  I  cannot  become 
an  Assyrian  and  will  soon  provoke 
thy  wrath. " 

"  Fear  not,  Uriel,"  gently  urged 
Sennacherib.  "  Already  I  have  lis- 
tened without  anger  to  words  of  thine 
which  no  Assyrian  would  dare  utter. 
But  come  now  with  me  and  I  shall 
show  thee  how  great  is  my  power." 

The  whole  Assyrian  camp  was 
amazed  to  see  the  Jewish  captive  in 
the  chariot  of  the  King.  The  white 
Lybian  horses  were  driven  by  Nebo, 
the  royal  charioteer,  but  Uriel  alone 
stood  in  attendance  behind  the  King's 
chair,  holding  the  royal  parasol,  and 
it  was  observed  that  Sennacherib 
often  turned  partly  round  to  speak 
with  him.  Such  honor  conferred 
upon  a  Jew  displeased  all  who  wit- 


A  Skve  Set  Free  141 

nessed  it,  but  not  even  the  nobles 
dared  give  expression  to  their  disap- 
proval. Yet  the  King  might  have 
heard  loud  murmurs,  had  it  not  been 
seen  that  the  armed  guards  following 
the  royal  car  on  horseback  kept  their 
eyes  fixed  watchfully  on  Uriel.  Sen- 
nacherib also  knew  and  approved  of 
this  precaution.  Charmed  by  Uriel's 
singing,  his  beauty,  frankness,  and 
bravery,  and  uncommonly  interested 
in  all  that  he  said,  Sennacherib  never- 
theless remembered  that  he  was  one 
of  an  abused  race  and,  though  believ- 
ing in  him,  wished  to  see  him  tested. 
As  they  made  the  round  of  the 
great  encampment,  the  legions  drawn 
up  for  review  on  either  side,  Uriel 
was  surprised  to  see  that  the  spear- 
men and  archers  dropped  on  their 
knees  to  give  the  salute,  rising  only 


142  In  Assyrian  Tents 

when  the  King  passed  on.  The  cav- 
alry kept  their  seats,  but  bowed  low 
over  the  necks  of  their  horses. 

"  See  how  they  honor  me,"  said 
Sennacherib.  "  The  proudest  are  but 
dust  beneath  my  feet." 

"But  when  thou  leadest  them  to 
battle,"  said  Uriel  in  wonder,  "  what 
time  is  there  for  tributes  such  as 
these?" 

"  Then  I  am  a  warrior  and  com- 
mander only — not  a  king." 

At  a  point  where  the  soldiers  were 
drawn  up  for  review  in  greatest  num- 
bers Sennacherib  stopped  his  chariot 
and  briefly  addressed  them. 

"  Pass  the  word  of  my  mouth 
throughout  the  camp,"  he  com- 
manded. "  Let  all  my  fighting  men 
know  that  I  have  recovered  from  my 
distemper,  and  therefore  proclaim  a 


A  Slave  Set  Free  143 

day  of  thanksgiving  and  feasting.  To- 
morrow early  let  our  altars  smoke 
with  sacrifices,  then  let  all  eat,  drink, 
and  be  merry.  And  the  day  after  we 
shall  advance  upon  our  enemies  and 
make  haste  to  crush  them." 

This  announcement  was  received 
with  acclamations,  evidently  pleasing 
all. 

"  One  more  word  have  I  to  say  at 
this  time,"  continued  Sennacherib. 
"I  would  have  all  men  know  that 
Uriel,  the  young  Jew  at  my  side,  is 
the  King's  friend,  that  he  is  free  to 
come  and  go  within  the  camp,  that  the 
honors  due  an  Assyrian  noble  are  his, 
and  that  ye  are  to  lift  no  restraining 
hand  against  him  unless  he  attempt 
to  go  abroad  without  my  written  pass- 
port. He  is  free  in  all  things  except 
to  leave  me." 


1 44  In  Assyrian  Tents 

No  approving  cries  greeted  this 
startling  announcement.  Instead 
there  were  low  murmurs  among  the 
soldiers  not  in  the  front  ranks,  and 
only  those  immediately  facing  Sen- 
nacherib were  heard  to  say:  "Live 
forever,  O  King,  and  let  thy  will  be 
done."  Even  these  showed  no  enthu- 
siasm. 

Uriel  saw  no  friendly  eye  in  all  that 
throng.  He  knew  that  he  was  not 
merely  suspected  as  a  possible  spy, 
but  despised  as  a  foreigner  by  the  sol- 
diers, and  doubted  not  that  the  King's 
sudden  fancy  for  a  stranger  filled  the 
nobles  with  secret  wrath.  Boy  though 
he  was,  he  foresaw  that  no  sooner 
should  he  begin  to  lose  favor  with  the 
King  than  these  jealous  courtiers 
would  come  forward  and  accuse  him 
to  his  ruin.  He  was  glad  when  the 


A  Slave  Set  Free  145 

order  was  given  for  the  royal  chariot 
to  move  on,  and  he  remained  no  longer 
the  victim  of  that  cold,  unfriendly 
stare. 

In  the  construction  of  his  great 
works  at  Nineveh,  such  as  palaces  and 
temples,  Sennacherib  used  chiefly  the 
forced  labor  of  captive  peoples — 
Chaldeans,  Jews,  Egyptians,  Elam- 
ites,  and  Ethiopians.  These  moulded 
bricks,  built  and  decorated  great  edi- 
fices, excavated  canals,  constructed 
embankments,  raised  great  mounds, 
and  transported  and  elevated  the  co- 
lossal man-headed  and  winged  bulls 
and  lions  of  stone,  emblems  of  the 
greater  Assyrian  deities.  Over  each 
gang  of  foreign  slaves  were  set  a 
number  of  taskmasters,  who  urged 
on  the  work  with  whips  or  staves. 
Sennacherib  himself,  it  is  said,  often 


1 46  In  Assyrian  Tents 

drove  out  in  his  chariot  and  observed 
the  progress  of  the  work. 

Many  of  these  foreign  slaves  accom- 
panied the  present  expedition  in  or- 
der to  carry  loads  and  perform  menial 
service  in  camp.  Large  numbers  of 
them  were  now  engaged  in  excavating 
a  drain,  all  the  Jews  being  kept  in 
fetters  as  a  precaution  against  at- 
tempted escape.  And,  as  was  the  cus- 
tom at  Nineveh,  their  taskmasters 
stood  over  them  with  whips.  Thus  the 
royal  party  found  them,  for  after 
passing  beyond  the  point  where  the 
soldiers  were  massed  for  review,  Sen- 
nacherib directed  his  charioteer  to 
drive  to  the  scene  of  the  excavation. 

It  was  as  they  neared  the  spot  that 
Uriel's  opportunity  came.  Loud  cries 
and  the  sound  of  blows  came  from  one 
of  the  gangs  at  work  on  the  drain,  and 


A  Slave  Set  Free  147 

in  a  moment  a  fettered  slave  strug- 
gled painfully  from  among  Ms  fel- 
lows and  into  full  view,  followed  by  a 
taskmaster  raining  blows  upon  his 
bare  back.  The  attention  of  both  the 
King  and  his  guards  was  thus  attract- 
ed and  for  the  moment  held. 

A  quick,  sharp  look  at  the  latter 
assured  Uriel  that  he  could  now  strike 
the  blow  before  any  arrow  could  stay 
him,  and  his  trembling  hand  clutched 
the  dagger  in  his  bosom.  A  moment 
more  and  the  deed  might  have  been 
done.  But  as  the  tortured  slave 
turned  his  face  fully  toward  the  King 
Uriel  forgot  both  his  secret  mission 
and  his  opportunity  to  carry  it  to 
completion.  With  a  cry  he  leaped 
from  the  chariot,  ran  forward,  struck 
the  taskmaster  a  terrible  blow,  and 
clasped  the  tottering  slave  in  his 
arms. 


1 48  In  Assyrian  Tents 

Even  the  King  was  silent  in  the 
presence  of  a  scene  so  strange :  a  bent 
old  man  with  whitened  locks  and 
beard,  his  wrinkled  face  grimy  and 
streaked  with  tears,  his  ankles  grip- 
ped in  the  shackles  of  a  slave,  weak, 
miserable,  shrinking,  clothed  in  filthy 
rags — yet  held  tenderly  to  the  breast 
of  the  noble  youth  just  crowned  with 
the  King's  favor  and  clothed  in  soft 
and  rich  attire. 

"Weep  no  more,"  sobbed  Uriel. 
"  He  shall  not  hurt  thee !  " 

"  Pardon,  my  lord,  that  I  fell 
against  thee/'  begged  the  bewildered 
old  man,  shrinking  away  from  his 
rescuer. 

"Art  thou  gone  mad,  good  Uriel?  " 
asked  Sennacherib,  amazed. 

"Not  mad,  but  broken-hearted," 
said  Uriel  in  husky  tones,  as  he 


A  Slave  Set  Free  149 

turned  toward  the  King,  still  sup- 
porting the  unsteady  form  of  the  old 
man.  "  Look,  O  King,  upon  this 
wretched,  bruised  creature!  Behold 
what  thou  hast  made  of  a  princely 
man  once  honored  of  all  Jerusalem. 
The  blood  of  the  flaming  royal  line  of 
David  is  in  his  veins — and  see  him 
now!" 

The  youth  halted  in  his  speech,  un- 
able to  master  his  emotions. 

"  Let  me  go,  my  lord,"  cried  the 
old  man,  struggling,  as  he  caught  the 
angry  eye  of  the  taskmaster,  who  had 
recovered  from  the  blow  and  risen  to 
his  feet.  "  Let  me  go  to  my  work 
that  the  lash  fall  not  upon  me." 

"  Who  is  he?  "  asked  Sennacherib. 
"  He  doth  not  know  thee." 

"  He  is  Naphtali,  my  father,  whom 
thou  didst  drag  a  captive  to  Assyria. 


1 50  In  Assyrian  Tents 

He  doth  not  know  me  because  cruel 
usage  hath  broken  him  in  body  and 
wrecked  him  in  mind.  That  I  should 
live  to  see  this  day!  "  cried  Uriel,  his 
sobs  uncontrolled  as  he  clasped  his 
father  closer  and  kissed  him. 

"What  would  my  lord?  Let  me 
go  ere  the  lash  again  bite  into  my 
flesh !  "  cried  the  wreck  of  poor  Naph- 
tali. 

"  I  grieve  that  thou  shouldst  see 
him  thus,"  said  Sennacherib,  much 
moved.  "  Weep  not,  Uriel.  If  he  is 
thy  father  he  shall  work  as  a  slave  no 
more.  I  give  him  to  thee.  Peradven- 
ture  kind  usage  will  restore  him." 

Uriel  turned  upon  the  King  a  grate- 
ful eye,  but  struggled  to  speak  in 
vain.  Sennacherib  then  addressed 
the  wondering  guards : 

"  Take  off  the  shackles  from  this 


A  Slave  Set  Free  1 5 1 

man.  Let  him  be  bathed  and  dressed 
in  soft  raiment.  Then  convey  him  to 
the  tent  of  Uriel  and  bid  the  physi- 
cians attend  him  with  all  their  skill. 
As  for  thee," — turning  to  the  fright- 
ened taskmaster, — "thou  hast  done 
more  than  thy  duty  because  of  thy 
cruel  heart,  and  thou  shalt  receive  the 
punishment  that  befits  thee  ere  the 
sun  goes  down." 

"  O  King,"  cried  the  terrified  task- 
master upon  his  knees  with  hands 
outstretched,  "  what  is  my  sin  before 
thee  that  thou  seekest  my  life?  " 

"  I  seek  not  thy  life,  but  the  lash 
shall  fall  upon  thy  back  in  turn.  I 
have  spoken."  Having  ordered  the 
immediate  arrest  of  the  taskmaster, 
the  King  turned  once  more  to  Uriel : 
"  Until  thy  father  is  made  fit  to  enter 
thy  tent  come  thou  with  me  and  fear 
not." 


152  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  My  lord,  the  King,  is  good,"  sob- 
bed Uriel,  releasing  Ms  hold  on  his 
father  and  allowing  two  of  the  guards 
to  take  him  in  charge. 

"Why  dost  thou  still  weep?"  in- 
quired Sennacherib,  as  the  chariot  re- 
turned toward  the  royal  encampment. 
"  Thou  shouldst  now  be  content,  my 
Uriel." 

"  I  weep  because  I  begin  to  love 
thee — I  that  should  hate  thee  as  the 
oppressor  of  my  country." 

And  the  "  lord  of  the  earth  "  was 
not  offended,  and  only  smiled. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  QUARREL  OP  TARTAN  AND 
RAB-SHAKEH 

IT  WAS  Sennacherib's  custom  to  hear 
and  pass  upon  complaints  in  person 
whenever  trouble  arose  among  those 
of  his  nobles  who  would  not  have  been 
willing  to  appear  before  inferior 
magistrates.  Even  when  at  war  and 
far  from  Nineveh  he  was  often  called 
upon  to  act  thus  as  judge.  Returning 
from  his  drive,  he  now  found  that 
Tartan  and  Rab-Shakeh  were  in  dis- 
pute, and  requested  that  they  might 
come  before  him  in  his  council  cham- 
ber. Thither  he  went,  therefore,  and 
seated  in  his  high  throne  chair,  with 
Uriel  and  a  few  attendants  standing 
near,  he  inquired  into  the  merits  of 
the  case. 


1 54  In  Assyrian  Tents 

Tartan  and  Rab-Shakeh  were  the 
lordly  messengers  who  had  been  sent 
with  an  army  to  Jerusalem,  and  Uriel 
recognized  them  as  two  of  the  cap- 
tains before  whom  he  was  taken  on 
his  arrival  in  the  camp.  They  had  al- 
ready stood  before  the  King  with  the 
report  of  their  failure  to  secure  the 
submission  of  Hezekiah,  and  now 
came  for  judgment  in  a  matter  which 
concerned  them  personally. 

They  related  that  on  the  army's  re- 
turn in  scattered  detachments  from 
Jerusalem  a  beautiful  little  Jewish 
girl  had  been  taken  captive  and  had 
but  that  day  been  brought  into  the 
camp.  Both  Tartan  and  Rab-Shakeh 
laid  claim  to  her  as  soon  as  they  saw 
her,  and  hence  the  dispute  which  the 
King  alone  could  settle.  Being  told 
to  speak,  the  two  nobles  did  so  in  turn. 


Tartan  and  Rab-Shakeh        1 5  5 

"I  claim  her,"  said  Rab-Shakeh, 
"  because  I  am  the  elder  and  higher 
officer,  because  it  was  I  that  delivered 
the  King's  message  to  Hezekiah's 
minister,  and  because  as  the  King's 
delegate  my  authority  was  superior 
to  that  of  the  mere  military  com- 
mander of  the  expedition.  Tartan  has 
no  claim ;  the  child  is  rightly  mine." 

"  It  is  true,"  said  Tartan,  "  that  I 
was  the  '  mere  commander  '  of  the  ex- 
pedition, that  the  captains  looked  to 
me  for  orders,  and  that  I  was  respon- 
sible to  the  King  for  the  safety  of  his 
messenger,  Rab-Shakeh.  But  Rab- 
Shakeh  had  no  authority  over  any- 
thing but  the  message  entrusted  to 
him.  If  the  soldiers  under  me  took 
captives,  the  matter  concerned  not 
Rab-Shakeh,  but  me  only,  and  the  cap- 
tives or  spoils  that  I  required  from 


156  In  Assyrian  Tents 

my  soldiers  were  mine  or  the  King's, 
not  Rab-Shakeh 's.  Is  this  not  rea- 
son?" 

"  Tis  not  reason,  'tis  madness,  "in- 
terrupted Rab-Shakeh,  but  was 
checked  by  a  sign  from  the  King. 

"It  is  true,"  continued  Tartan, 
smiling,  "  that  Rab-Shakeh  is  the 
elder,  much  the  elder.  He  is  also 
much  the  heavier,  much  the  bigger 
about  the  middle,  and  a  few  years 
hence  he  will  be  tottering  toward  the 
grave.  But  does  not  this  make  his 
claim  weaker  instead  of  stronger? 
The  captive  is  but  a  child,  and  ere 
she  hath  become  a  woman,  he  will  be 
too  old  to  care  for  her;  he  will  die 
and  leave  her  to  strangers." 

"  My  lord,  I  do  protest,"  cried  the 
furious  Rab-Shakeh,  but  Sennacherib 
permitted  Tartan  to  continue. 


Tartan  and  Rab-Shakeh        157 

"  Yet  I  do  not  claim  her  because  I 
am  younger  than  Eab-Shakeh,  but 
for  the  good  reasons  stated,  and  be- 
cause my  palace  will  be  the  brighter 
for  the  presence  of  so  pretty  a  little 
slave." 

"  I  wonder  that  ye  so  dispute  fpr 
the  possession  of  a  child,"  said  Sen- 
nacherib. "  Is  her  beauty  then  of 
such  great  promise?  Send  for  her 
that  I  may  see  her." 

At  this  both  Tartan  and  Rab-Sha- 
keh looked  uneasy,  each  no  doubt 
fearing  that  the  King,  when  he  saw 
the  little  captive,  would  end  the  dis- 
pute by  taking  her  as  his  own.  Uriel 
also  seemed  excited,  breathing  hard 
and  looking  eagerly  toward  the  door. 
His  supense  was  not  prolonged.  The 
captive  soon  appeared,  and,  as  he  had 
hoped  and  feared  by  turns,  proved  to 
be  little  Josepha. 


158  In  Assyrian  Tents 

Uriel  suppressed  a  cry  as  lie  saw 
her,  and  waited,  breathless.  The  child 
did  not  see  him  where  he  stood  among 
the  attendants,  her  frightened  glance 
being  fixed  upon  the  King  and  wan- 
dering thence  to  the  two  lords  who 
claimed  her.  It  was  evident  that  she 
came  unwillingly,  and  her  face  wore  a 
weary,  pained,  uncomprehending  ex- 
pression. Yet  her  beauty  and  grace 
were,  as  ever,  apparent  to  the  most 
careless  eye. 

"  I  wonder  not  that  ye  dispute  for 
possession  of  her,"  said  the  King. 
"  She  is  fair,  indeed.  Who  art  thou, 
little  one?" 

But  Josepha,  not  understanding 
the  Assyrian,  made  no  answer.  "  Let 
me  go  home — let  me  go  home,"  she 
begged  in  her  native  tongue. 

"  Speak  to  her  in  the  Hebrew, 
Uriel,  and  question — " 


Tartan  and  Rab-Shakeh        1 59 

The  King  was  interrupted  by  a 
scream  of  delight  from  Josepha,  who 
rushed  into  Uriel's  arms  and  clung  to 
him,  calling  aloud  his  name. 

"How  is  this?"  asked  Sennach- 
erib, when  the  child's  exhibitions  of 
joy  were  more  subdued.  "  Thou 
knowest  her,  Uriel  ?  Who  is  she  ? ' ' 

"  She  is  Josepha,  daughter  of  Ga- 
maliel, a  merchant  of  Jerusalem." 

"Issheakintothee?" 

"  Nay,  my  lord,  but  her  mother,  if 
she  yet  live,  is  my  friend,  and  I  buried 
her  father  after  he  was  robbed  of  his 
goods  and  slain  on  the  highway  by  the 
Assyrians  that  went  up  to  Jerusa- 
lem." 

Then  Uriel  added  with  slow  dis- 
tinctness : 

"  It  was  her  mother's  wish  that  this 
child  should  be  my  wife  after  the 
needful  years  have  passed." 


1 60  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  Ah,  is  it  indeed  so  ?  "  Sennacherib 
looked  inquiringly  at  the  two  As- 
syrian lords,  who  now  regarded  Uriel 
with  no  friendly  eye. 

"  What  of  her  mother?  "  asked  the 
youth,  eagerly,  looking  from  Tartan 
to  Rab-Shakeh.  "  She  was  taken 
away  in  the  same  night  by  members 
of  the  same  Assyrian  band." 

Neither  of  the  Assyrian  lords 
deigned  to  answer  until  the  King  re- 
peated the  question. 

"  I  saw  her  not,  but  word  reached 
me  of  such  a  woman, ' '  Tartan  then  re- 
plied. "  It  is  said  that  she  died  by 
her  own  hand  within  an  hour  of  her 
capture." 

Uriel  checked  a  cry  of  grief  and 
drew  Josepha  closer  to  him,  glad  that 
she  could  not  understand.  The  King 
frowned. 


Tartan  and  Rab-Shakeh        1 6 1 

"  There  is  but  one  thing  to  do," 
said  Sennacherib  to  the  Assyrian 
lords.  "  I  gave  no  order  to  take  cap- 
tives among  the  Jews  or  seize  their 
goods  before  the  answer  of  Hezekiah 
\  was  received.  Therefore  such  deeds 
were  not  lawful.  Moreover,  even  had 
they  been  lawful,  I  could  now  do  no 
other  than  give  this  child  to  Uriel 
to  whom  she  is  betrothed." 

"  0  King,"  cried  Uriel,  "  thou  art 
not  alone  great,  thou  art  good,  thou 
art  just,  and  I  thank  thee  from  my 
heart." 

But  anger  and  rebellion  showed  on 
the  faces  of  Tartan  and  Rab-Shakeh. 
They  counted  the  promise  of  Jo- 
sepha's  mother  to  Uriel  as  nothing, 
and  were  amazed  that  Sennacherib 
should  risk  the  secret  enmity  of  his 
two  most  powerful  lords  in  order  fur- 


1 6  2  In  Assyrian  Tents 

ther  to  please  a  captive  Jew  already 
so  greatly  favored.  But  while  Rab- 
Shakeh  openly  scowled  at  Uriel,  Tar- 
tan was  quick  to  recover  his  self-pos- 
session and  accept  the  King's  ruling 
with  apparent  cheerfulness. 

"  If  I  am  to  be  denied,"  he  laughed, 
"  I  would  as  lief  the  Jew  had  her  as 
Rab- Shaken.  Indeed,  it  is  more  fit. 
When  she  is  old  enough  to  wed  he 
will  not  be  too  old  or  too  fat,  and  he 
can  charm  her  with  his  songs.  The 
King  has  done  well." 

Rab-Shakeh  now  turned  his  angry 
eyes  upon  Tartan,  and  then  bowed 
low  before  the  King's  signal  of  dis- 
missal; but  as  they  went  forth,  the 
look  he  cast  upon  the  triumphant 
Uriel  was  a  declaration,  more  plain 
than  spoken  words,  that  he  intended 
war  to  the  death,  and  would  watch 
sleeplessly  for  his  opportunity  to 
strike. 


CHAPTER  X 

JOSEPHA  AND  NAPHTALI 

WITH  the  King's  permission  Uriel 
shortly  returned  to  his  tent,  leading 
little  Josepha  by  the  hand.  There  he 
found  Naphtali,  his  father.  The  old 
man  had  been  bathed  and  dressed  in 
"  soft  raiment,"  his  beard  and  hair 
had  been  trimmed,  healing  oil  had 
been  poured  on  his  wounds,  the  at- 
tending physician  had  given  him  a 
soothing  potion,  and  he  had  been  put 
to  sleep  on  a  luxurious  couch. 

"This  is  my  father,  Naphtali," 
said  Uriel  to  Josepha,  noting  these 
changes  and  rejoiced  to  find  that  the 
poor  old  man  now  seemed  more  him- 
self. 

Naphtali  stirred,  his  eyes  opened, 


1 64  In  Assyrian  Tents 

and  seeing  Uriel  lie  rose  in  great  haste 
and  bowed  low  before  him. 

"  Pardon,  my  lord,  if  I  have 
sinned,"  he  begged.  "I  know  not 
why  they  placed  me  here.  Give  me 
my  spade  and  I  shall  work." 

Uriel  sighed  deeply  and  turning  to 
Josepha  explained:  "  He  was  carried 
a  captive  to  Assyria,  and  cruel  usage 
hath  caused  him  to  forget  all  former 
things.  He  doth  not  know  even  me, 
his  son." 

"  Do  not  let  them  beat  me,"  begged 
Naphtali,  his  frightened  eyes  wander- 
ing uneasily  around  the  richly-fur- 
nished tent. 

"  Sit  thee  down  and  be  content.  No 
one  will  dare  hurt  thee,  for  thou  art 
no  longer  a  slave,"  said  Uriel,  gently 
forcing  the  old  man  to  return  to  the 
couch.  "  The  King  hath  given  thee 


Josepha  and  Naphtali          165 

to  me,  and  I  am  thy  son  who  loveth 
thee.  Dost  thou  not  remember  thy 
little  son,  Uriel?" 

"  Let  me  go,  my  lord,  that  the  task- 
masters set  not  upon  me  in  their 
anger." 

"  O  my  poor  father!  " 

Josepha  ran  into  Naphtali 's  arms 
and  kissed  him,  whereat  the  pained 
expression  on  his  face  relaxed  and  he 
smiled  faintly.  He  put  his  hand  on 
the  girl's  head  and  looked  at  her  in- 
tently. 

"Do  I  see  aright?"  he  mused. 
"Is  it  no  passing  dream?'1  He 
glanced  shrinkingly  at  Uriel,  then 
looked  again  steadily  at  the  child  as 
she  leaned  against  him  where  he  sat 
on  the  couch.  "  Hath  my  prayer  for 
death  been  answered  and  do  I  live  the 
life  to  come,  or  is  this  a  divine  angel 


1 66  In  Assyrian  Tents 

sent  in  pity  to  comfort  a  wretched 
slave?" 

"  Thou  seest  no  angel/'  smiled  Jo- 
sepha,  "  but  only  a  little  girl  who  like 
thee  hath  been  a  captive  among  the 
Assyrians.  Be  not  afraid,  for  now 
we  are  safe  with  Uriel."  She  kissed 
the  bewildered  old  man  again,  and  he 
pressed  her  to  him,  smiling. 

"  Thou  art  his  best  medicine,"  said 
Uriel,  much  comforted. 

Food  was  now  brought  by  the  at- 
tendants and  placed  on  a  table  in  the 
centre  of  the  tent.  Two  pompous 
eunuchs  stood  and  served  the  meal, 
which  was  brought  by  underlings 
from  the  King's  kitchen.  The  great 
Rab-Saris,  the  King's  chief  eunuch, 
had  himself  given  orders  for  these 
elaborate  arrangements.  Uriel  knew 
how  greatly  he  was  honored,  but  both 


Josepha  and  Naphtali          167 

lie  and  his  "  two  children"  would 
have  been  better  pleased  if  they  had 
been  left  to  serve  themselves  when 
once  the  food  was  brought.  The  youth 
feared  the  effect  of  the  servants'  pres- 
ence upon  his  father;  but  Josepha 
now  readily  led  Naphtali  to  the  table, 
bidding  him  sit  beside  her,  and  under 
her  influence  he  remained  calm  for 
some  little  time,  evidently  finding 
great  satisfaction  in  the  appetizing 
food.  The  demented  man  would  have 
eaten  anything  put  before  him,  but 
Uriel  saw  to  it  that  neither  his  father 
nor  Josepha  touched  such  dishes  as 
the  laws  of  his  nation  bade  him  reject. 
"  Would  my  father  were  here  also 
— and  my  mother,"  said  Josepha  in 
sudden  sadness.  "  Where  are  they 
now,  Uriel  ?  Are  they  together,  think- 
estthou?" 


1 68  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  I  know  they  are  safe  from  the 
Assyrians  ere  now,"  was  the  quick 
answer.  "  Grieve  not  to  think  of 
them.  When  it  is  pleasing  to  the  good 
God,  thine  eyes  shall  look  upon  them 
once  more." 

He  was  silent,  adding  only  in 
thought:  "But  may  many,  many 
years  roll  by  before  that  day."  He 
could  not  tell  her  the  real  truth  as  yet. 
"  Until  then,"  he  continued,  "  let  me 
be  to  thee  both  a  father  and  a  mother. 
And  some  day  I  may  be  more.  It  was 
thy  mother's  wish  that  I  should  wed 
thee  when  thou  art  become  a  woman 
— if,"  he  added,  smiling,  "thou  art 
willing." 

"  Oh,  I  am  glad!  "  cried  Josepha, 
welcoming  the  plan  with  a  child's  en- 
thusiasm. "  For  thou  art  tall  and 
beautiful  and  brave  and  good.  When 
wilt  thou  marry  me,  Uriel?  " 


Josepha  and  Naphtali          169 

"  When  six  years  have  passed,  it 
may  be.  When  thou  art  become  a 
woman — when  thy  years  are  six  and 
ten  and  mine  are  three  and  twenty." 

"Must  it  be  so  long?"  asked  Jo- 
sepha, as  seriously  as  if  he  had  said 
a  quarter  of  a  century.  "  Wilt  thou 
wait  for  me  six  years  and  have  no 
wife  till  then?  Can  a  man  wait  so 
long?" 

"  If  he  must,"  smiled  Uriel. 
"  Jacob  served  seven  years  for 
Rachel,  you  remember. 

"  But  there  was  Leah." 

"  This  time  there  will  be  no  Leah." 

Calling  for  a  harp,  Uriel  swept  his 
hands  over  the  strings,  saying:  "  This 
is  what  I  shall  sing  to  thee  out  of 
Solomon's  Song  when  the  Assyrians 
have  been  driven  from  our  land,  when 
all  is  well,  and  when  the  six  years 


1 70  In  Assyrian  Tents 

have   gone  by."     Then   he   chanted 
softly : 

"  My  beloved  spake  and  said  unto  me, 
Rise  up,  my  love,  my  fair  one,  and  come  away, 
For,  lo,  the  winter  is  past,  the  rain  is  over  and 

gone, 

The  flowers  appear  upon  the  earth, 
The  time  of  the  singing  birds  is  come, 
And  the  voice  of  the  turtle  is  heard  in  our  land. 
Arise,  my  love,  my  fair  one,  and  come  away. " 

The  singing  affected  Naphtali 
strangely,  seeming  to  stir  tender,  dor- 
mant memories,  yet  filling  him  with 
fear.  He  was  seen  to  tremble  and 
cast  frightened  glances  about  him, 
and  when  the  last  note  was  sounded 
he  started  up  and  ran  from  the  table, 
crying  : 

"  Let  me  go !  If  they  find  me  here 
the  lash  will  fall  upon  me!  " 

Uriel  sat  still,  sorrow  clouding  his 
face,  which  the  moment  before  had 


Josepha  and  Naphtali          1 7 1 

shone  with  the  brightness  of  his 
hopes.  But  Josepha  ran  quickly  after 
Naphtali,  quieted  him  by  a  touch, 
and  led  him  back  smiling  as  she  would 
have  led  a  child. 

"  Sit  thee  down,"  she  commanded 
gently,  "  and  I  will  give  thee  to 
drink." 

"  Thou  art  wiser  than  thy  years," 
commented  Uriel,  "  and  it  is  sweet  to 
see  thee  care  for  my  poor  father 
thus." 

A  sudden  and  profound  sadness 
overwhelmed  the  youth  as  he  recalled 
the  purpose  which  had  brought  him 
to  the  camp  of  the  Assyrians.  What 
would  become  of  Naphtali  and  Jo- 
sepha if  he  did  the  deed?  Would 
they  not  at  the  best  be  carried  as 
slaves  to  Assyria  ?  He  was  willing  to 
sacrifice  his  own  life — as  to  this  he 


1 7  2  In  Assyrian  Tents 

never  wavered.  But  could  he  send 
his  father  back  to  foreign  slavery  and 
deliver  sweet  Josepha  to  become  the 
plaything  of  an  Assyrian  satrap? 
After  all,  was  he  sure  that  his  country 
would  profit  by  the  death  of  Sennach- 
erib at  the  hand  of  a  Jew?  Instead 
of  retreating,  might  not  the  Assy- 
rians visit  upon  all  Judea  the  horrors 
of  a  terrible  revenge  ? 

Uriel  turned  abruptly  away  from 
the  smiling  Josepha  and  her  pacified 
charge.  He  retired  to  an  inner  apart- 
ment of  the  tent,  and  there  battled 
with  his  perplexities.  Should  he  do 
the  deed  and  take  the  consequences, 
terrible  as  they  were,  or  withhold  his 
hand — making  a  friend  of  the  King 
for  the  sake  of  Naphtali  and  Jo- 
sepha? And  at  this  a  thought  came 
to  him  that  filled  him  with  shame: 


Josepha  and  Naphtali          173 

Would  David  have  hesitated  to  slay 
Goliath  for  fear  of  evil  that  might 
befall  his  family? 

"Nay,  I  will  not  waver,  but  will 
strike  the  blow  for  my  country,"  he 
cried  aloud,  "trusting  in  the  merci- 
ful providence  of  God." 

He  decided  immediately  to  act  on 
the  following  night.  There  could  be 
no  better  time,  he  thought,  than  when 
the  camp  slept  heavily  after  a  day 
of  feasting  and  drinking.  Then  per- 
haps the  death  of  the  King  might  not 
become  known  till  morning,  and 
meanwhile  might  he  not  through 
great  good  fortune  escape  with  Jo- 
sepha and  Naphtali?  For  even  the 
guards  on  the  borders  of  the  camp 
would  perhaps  be  found  in  a  drunken 
sleep  toward  morning. 

But  whether  escape  were  possible 


1 74  In  Assyrian  Tents 

or  impossible,  the  deed  should  never- 
theless be  done.  He  had  decided,  and 
told  himself  solemnly  that  he  would 
no  more  waver. 

Uriel  parted  the  curtains  at  the 
back  entrance  to  his  tent  and  looked 
out  on  the  night,  gazing  up  at  the 
stars  as  if  in  search  of  inspiration, 
hope,  and  courage.  From  the  tent's 
front  entrance  thousands  of  others 
were  to  be  seen,  but  from  the  point 
where  the  youth  now  stood  the  view 
embraced  only  the  upward  slope  of 
a  hill  to  the  right  and  a  tree-embow- 
ered glen  tending  downward  and 
away  on  the  left.  The  great  encamp- 
ment virtually  ended  at  this  point, 
for  on  the  upward  slope  to  the  right 
only  two  small  tents  were  visible,  pre- 
sumably for  the  use  of  the  sentinels 
chosen  to  watch  on  this  the  south- 


Josepha  and  Naphtali          1 75 

eastern  border.  As  he  looked  search- 
Ingly  about,  taking  note  of  all  this, 
Uriel  located  the  figure  of  one  of 
these  sentinels  moving  on  his  rounds. 
He  doubted  not  that  the  glen  also 
was  watched,  or  that  there  was  an 
outer  or  more  distant  picket  line. 
Nevertheless  he  recognized  that  the 
path  of  escape  on  the  following  night 
— if  escape  were  possible — would  lead 
from  the  back  entrance  of  his  tent 
to  the  downward  sloping  glen,  and 
thence  into  the  hills  and  forests  be- 
yond. 


CHAPTER  XI 

SENNACHERIB'S  FEAST 
IN  THE  morning  early  the  smoke  of 
sacrifices  went  up  throughout  the 
camp.  Each  captain,  as  ordered, 
made  a  burnt-offering  in  honor  of 
Nergal  and  Hoa,  gods  of  war,  and 
thus  was  slain  a  great  and  costly  sac- 
rifice of  sheep  and  goats  and  cattle. 

Within  the  limits  of  the  royal  en- 
campment Sennacherib  himself  of- 
fered sacrifices  to  the  war  gods 
named,  but,  as  always,  uttered  his 
words  of  chiefest  praise  in  honor  of 
Asshur,  the  king  of  Assyrian  deities. 
Special  invocations  were  also  ad- 
dressed to  Shamas,  the  sun-god ;  Sin, 
the  moon-god;  Vul,  the  god  of  the 
thunderbolt;  Nin,  the  god  of  hunt- 


Sennacherib's  Feast  177 

ing;  Bel,  the  patron  god  of  Nineveh; 
and  even  to  Beltis,  the  "  great 
mother,"  and  Ishtar,  the  goddess  of 
love.  A  concluding  petition  embraced 
the  gods  in  general,  some  four  thou- 
sand altogether;  for  on  the  eve  of 
battle  the  good-will  of  the  least  of 
these  was  valued.  Tiglathi-Nin  and 
other  priests  stood  by  Sennacherib's 
side,  chanting  mournfully,  as  he 
poured  out  oblations  of  nectar  and 
wine  before  a  golden  altar  brought 
from  Nineveh. 

None  yet  knew  whether  Sennach- 
erib would  move  against  Judea  or 
Egypt,  though  at  the  outset  there  had 
been  a  rumor  that  he  would  punish 
Sethos  before  he  humbled  Hezekiah 
"  in  the  dust";  but  the  order  had 
gone  forth  that  on  the  morrow  camp 
should  be  broken  and  the  march  be- 


1 78  In  Assyrian  Tents 

gun.  And  so,  with  the  hazards  of  war 
immediately  before  them,  the  Assy- 
rian soldiers  stood  solemn  and  pray- 
erful in  the  presence  of  the  great 
sacrifice. 

But  when  these  duties  of  religion 
were  performed  and  the  King  pro- 
claimed a  feast,  solemnity  gave  place 
to  laughter,  and  during  the  remainder 
of  the  day  and  until  far  into  the  night 
the  camp  was  a  continuing  scene  of 
merriment — singing,  feasting,  dan- 
cing, drinking.  The  female  camp-fol- 
lowers were  very  numerous,  each  cap- 
tain having  so  far  as  possible  fol- 
lowed the  example  of  the  King,  who 
brought  with  him  quite  the  fourth  of 
his  harem;  and  so  it  happened  that 
there  were  bright-clothed  women  to 
dance  and  sing  in  every  quarter  of 
the  camp. 


Sennacherib's  Feast  1 79 

Immediately  after  the  sacrifices 
and  before  feasting  and  drinking  had 
dulled  the  senses  or  sapped  the  ener- 
gies of  the  soldiers,  Sennacherib 
called  before  him  in  the  plain  beneath 
the  camp  the  most  skilled  of  the  arch- 
ers and  athletes.  Seated  in  his  char- 
iot, with  his  nobles  and  his  counsellors 
grouped  about  him,  the  King  wit- 
nessed a  series  of  spirited  and  manly 
contests.  There  were  many  marvel- 
lous feats  of  leaping,  running,  riding, 
chariot  racing,  casting  the  javelin, 
and  shooting  the  bow,  in  all  of 
which  Sennacherib  showed  the  keen- 
est interest,  discussing  the  merits  of 
each  contest  with  Uriel  and  his 
nobles. 

At  night  the  King  entertained  the 
victors  in  these  contests,  together 
with  his  nobles,  captains,  chief  priests, 


T  80  In  Assyrian  Tents 

and  other  favored  persons,  including 
Uriel,  at  the  crowning  feast  of  that 
festal  day.  The  supper  was  served  in 
the  largest  of  the  royal  tents,  where 
three  hundred  men  or  more  could 
stand  at  ease.  The  ground  was  car- 
peted with  bright  rugs  and  glossy 
furs,  and  the  walls  were  hung  with 
Tyrian  purple,  the  inwoven  threads 
of  which  crudely  outlined  scenes  of 
war  and  hunting.  At  one  end  of  this 
great  tented  hall,  under  a  purple  can- 
opy embroidered  with  flashing  gems, 
stood  an  ivory  throne  richly  carved 
and  ornamented,  which  the  King's 
pride  and  vanity  had  caused  to  follow 
him  from  Nineveh. 

Etiquette  forbade  that  Sennach- 
erib should  actually  sup  with  his 
guests,  and  so,  while  they  ate  and 
drank,  the  throne  remained  empty. 


Sennacherib's  Feast  1 8 1 

Not  until  the  tables  were  removed 
and  the  assembly  stood  waiting,  did 
the  King  enter  and  take  his  seat.  As 
he  appeared,  the  guests  prostrated 
themselves  as  one  man,  and  when  he 
had  mounted  the  throne  they  rose  to 
their  feet  with  shouts  of  acclaim. 

The  Assyrian  monarch  wore  his 
most  magnificent  robes  of  state  and 
a  crown  that  blazed  with  jewels.  On 
his  breast  glittered  the  emblem  of  the 
god  Asshur,  a  starry  circle  enclosing 
the  figure  of  a  winged  man  with 
drawn  bow ;  and  beneath  it  flashed  a 
four-rayed  golden  orb  designed  in 
honor  of  the  sun  god  Shamas.  Not 
merely  as  to  these  costly  trappings, 
but  in  face,  figure,  and  manner,  Sen- 
nacherib appeared  a  kingly  man. 
His  courtiers  looked  on  him  not  with 
reverence  only,  but  with  pride. 


1 8  2  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  The  victors  in  my  games,"  said 
the  King,  "  the  captains  of  my  hosts, 
the  nobles  of  my  court,  my  counsel- 
lors, my  priests,  and  all  here  present, 
I  bid  welcome.  It  is  now  your  privi- 
lege to  drink  with  the  King  of  men  to 
the  success  of  this  his  expedition  of 
war,  which  shall  not  end  until  Sethos 
of  Egypt  hath  kissed  his  feet  and 
Hezekiah  of  Judea  hath  followed  his 
triumphant  chariot  on  foot  to  Nine- 
veh." 

Amid  cries  of  enthusiasm,  Bab- 
Shakeh  presented  to  the  King  a 
golden  drinking  vessel  filled  with 
wine,  and  the  eunuchs  who  had  served 
the  feast  distributed  brimming  gob- 
lets among  the  people.  Then,  as  the 
King  poured  out  an  oblation  and 
drank,  the  assembly  did  likewise.  At 
a  sign  from  the  throne  chosen  speak- 


Sennacherib's  Feast  183 

ers  stood  forth  one  after  another  and 
talked  of  the  greatness  of  the  Assy- 
rian name  and  arms,  showering 
praises  upon  the  well-pleased  King. 
Then  minstrels  and  rhapsodes  were 
called  and  celebrated  Sennacherib's 
victories  in  rhythmic  measure  to  the 
sound  of  harps,  sackbuts,  and  dul- 
cimers. 

"  There  is  among  us  a  sweet  singer 
whom  ye  have  not  heard,"  said  Sen- 
nacherib at  last,  "a  captive  and  a 
stranger  with  whom  I  am  well  pleased 
and  whom  I  have,  therefore,  raised 
to  honor.  Stand  forth,  Uriel,  and  do 
thou  also  sing  to  me  of  my  great  wars 
and  victories." 

"  I  beg  that  my  lord,  the  King,  will 
not  require  this  of  me,"  said  Uriel, 
although  he  promptly  stepped  forth 
and  took  the  harp  that  was  given  him. 


i  84  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  I  know  not  of  my  lord's  wars  and 
victories,  and  can  sing  only  of  what 
I  have  seen  or  have  learned." 

"  Sing,  then,  what  thou  wilt,  if  only 
it  be  of  great  deeds  and  mighty  con- 
flicts." 

So  Uriel  sang  of  the  Exodus.  Im- 
provising with  the  skill  of  a  trained 
rhapsode,  he  chanted  to  the  sound  of 
his  harp  in  rhythmic  measure  the 
story  of  a  lowly  people  enslaved  in 
Egypt,  of  the  plagues  and  miracles 
that  wrung  from  the  oppressor  per- 
mission to  depart,  of  the  journey 
forth,  of  the  cloud  by  day  and  the 
pillar  of  fire  by  night  that  led  them, 
of  the  angry  pursuit  and  the  drown- 
ing of  the  Egyptian  king's  army,  of 
the  wanderings  of  the  freed  people 
in  the  wilderness,  of  their  triumphant 
conquest  of  the  promised  land,  of  the 


Sennacherib's  Feast  185 

victories  of  the  great  Hebrew  cap- 
tains, of  the  wars  of  Saul  and  David, 
and  of  the  power  and  magnificence 
of  the  kingdom  established  under  Sol- 
omon. 

Sennacherib,  the  nobles,  the  cap- 
tains, and  the  priests,  all  listened  at 
first  with  evident  interest  and  pleas- 
ure. But  as  the  tale  proceeded  they 
were  amazed  to  hear  of  the  great 
achievements  of  a  people  now  so 
small  and  weak,  a  people  regarded  by 
the  all-conquering  Assyrians  almost 
with  contempt ;  and  there  were  many 
frowns  and  murmurs  at  the  prophetic 
utterances,  alleged  to  have  proceeded 
from  an  all-powerful  God,  which 
seemed  to  promise  world-wide  do- 
minion for  a  race  now  only  one  of  the 
lesser  foes  of  Assyria. 

"  Thou  art  proud  above  thy  sta- 


1 86  In  Assyrian  Tents 

tion,"  said  Sennacherib  as  soon  as 
Uriel  had  ceased,  "  and  thy  people 
will  be  wiser  when  I  have  humbled 
them  in  the  dust.  They  are  mad  to 
feed  upon  the  tales  of  their  ancient 
victories  and  to  trust,  to  their  ruin,  in 
a  God  who  hath  abandoned  them. 
Where  was  this  God  when  my  father 
scattered  the  ten  tribes  of  Samaria 
broadcast  the  earth  ?  Where  was  He 
when  I  myself  subdued  thy  country 
and  carried  away  two  hundred  thou- 
sand captives?  " 

"  I  have  told  my  lord,"  said  Uriel, 
"  that  He  is,  as  men  say,  asleep.  But 
when  we  have  atoned  for  our  sins  He 
will  awake.  He  will  awake  and  even 
Assyria  will  tremble!  " 

"What  saith  he?"  cried  out  the 
nobles  and  captains,  amazed. 

"  Tis  a  threat,"  cried  Rab-Shakeh 


Sennacherib's  Feast  1 8  7 

with  suppressed  fury.  "  He  dares  to 
threaten  the  King  of  men — this  up- 
start Jew!  Shall  he  not  die,  O 
King?" 

But  Sennacherib  signed  his  angry 
minister  to  be  silent,  and  then  Tartan, 
the  chief  captain,  spoke: 

"  Surely  the  King  will  not  brook 
such  words  even  from  the  fair  youth 
he  hath  so  favored?  " 

Uriel  caught  a  quick  breath,  and 
there  was  a  momentary  fading  of  the 
rich  color  of  his  cheek,  but  otherwise 
he  bravely  supported  the  hostile  gaze 
of  the  hundreds  whom  he  had  ang- 
ered, making  no  effort  to  speak  in 
his  own  defense  and  quietly  awaiting 
leave  to  retire  to  the  background. 
There  was  for  a  brief  space  an  intense 
silence,  and  then  the  King's  voice  was 
heard : 


1 88  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  For  the  love  that  I  bear  thee  I 
forgive  thee,  Uriel,  but  thy  people 
shall  suffer  for  their  insolence  that  is 
reflected  in  thy  words." 

And  so  with  bowed  head  the  youth 
retreated  from  before  the  throne  and 
stood  back  among  the  nobles  at  the 
side. 

The  clash  of  cymbals  was  now 
heard,  and  the  crowd  parted  to  permit 
the  passage  of  a  troop  of  dancing 
women  led  by  eunuchs  playing  upon 
many  instruments.  In  scant,  bright 
robes  ablaze  with  jewels  these  leaped 
and  danced  before  the  King  with  as- 
tonishing agility  and  grace.  They 
were  Babylonian,  Egyptian,  and 
Elamite  slaves,  and  could  not  have 
been  happy  in  captivity,  yet  they  now 
smiled  with  their  eyes  as  well  as  with 
their  lips.  And  the  King  and  his 


Sennacherib's  Feast  189 

nobles  smiled  on  them  in  turn,  well 
pleased  with  their  performances. 

Sennacherib's  drinking  vessel  had 
ere  now  been  filled  and  drained  re- 
peatedly, and  the  effect  was  visible. 
He  swayed  from  side  to  side  as  he 
leaned  forward  watching  the  dancers, 
and  when  the  women  had  retired,  and 
he  called  with  the  manner  of  a 
drunken  man  for  his  footstool,  all 
knew  that  a  hated  ceremony,  which 
none  dared  resist,  was  now  to  follow. 
The  footstool  having  been  placed  be- 
fore him  and  the  sandal  of  his  right 
foot  removed,  Sennacherib  cried 
loudly,  though  in  a  husky  and  waver- 
ing voice : 

"  Lo,  I  am  king  of  kings  and  lord 
of  lords.  Asshur,  chief  of  gods,  alone 
is  peer  of  mine.  Asshur  rules  the 
starry  heaven,  but  Sennacherib  rules 


1 90  In  Assyrian  Tents 

the  earth.  Fall  prone  before  me,  all 
ye  people.  Come  and  bow  yourselves 
that  the  great  King  may  taste  his 
dominion  in  the  touch  of  his  bared 
foot  upon  your  uncovered  necks!  " 

The  nobles  and  captains  of  Assy- 
ria, one  and  all,  felt  themselves  de- 
graded by  a  ceremony  invented  when 
Sennacherib  was  drunken  and  when 
his  lust  of  dominion  was  revealed  in 
all  its  gross  excess.  But  none  dared 
object  or  refuse.  Instant  death  would 
have  overtaken  him  who  rebelled,  for 
at  such  times  the  King's  mood  was 
most  dangerous;  and  so  accustomed 
to  slavish  subjection  were  the  people 
of  this  Oriental  despotism  that  Sen- 
nacherib's orders  pronouncing  death 
upon  the  mutinous  would  have  been 
obeyed  as  the  decree  of  a  god. 

So  the  drunken  King  now  enjoyed 


Sennacherib's  Feast  191 

to  his  soul's  satisfaction  the  delight 
of  pressing  his  bared  foot  upon  his 
most  noble  subjects'  uncovered  necks, 
although  each  one  of  those  subjects 
frowned  covertly  ere  he  went  forward 
to  his  humiliation. 

The  great  Rab-Shakeh  was  the  first 
to  bow  himself  and  rest  his  lordly 
head  upon  the  footstool.  As  the  King 
pressed  his  foot  with  a  smile  of  satis- 
faction upon  his  prime  minister's 
neck,  the  tent  was  rudely  shaken  by 
a  sudden  and  strong  gust  of  wind. 
The  assembled  company  looked  up- 
ward and  around  with  alarm,  but 
were  reassured  on  perceiving  that  the 
previous  calm  had  merely  been  fol- 
lowed by  a  harmless  wind  storm. 

"Ho,  Uriel,"  laughed  Sennacherib, 
reeling  on  his  throne,  "  is  this  the 
6  blast '  which  the  prophet  of  thy 


192  In  Assyrian  Tents 

puny  race  promised  to  send  upon  me  ? 
It  hath  power  to  shake  my  proudest 
tent,  but  it  is  only  wind.  Where  are 
the  smoke  and  flame  and  universal  de- 
struction of  my  dream?  They  come 
not,  for  gods  such  as  thine — even 
though  they  be  gods,  indeed — fear  to 
assail  the  all-powerful  King  Sennach- 
erib!" 


CHAPTER  XII 

FAILURE — FLIGHT — NIGHT  TERRORS    . 

AMAZED  and  affrighted  at  such  blas- 
phemous words,  and  disgusted  by  the 
ceremony  now  in  progress,  Uriel 
shrank  back  out  of  sight  and  with- 
drew, unnoticed,  from  the  tent. 

"  The  King  may  slay  me,"  was  his 
thought,  "  but  I  will  not  put  my  neck 
beneath  his  foot." 

He  gladly  sought  the  quiet  of  his 
own  tent,  where  Naphtali  and  Jo- 
sepha,  his  two  dear  "  children,"  lay 
in  peaceful  sleep. 

"  Is  this  Assyrian  king  Satan  him- 
self in  human  form?  "  mused  Uriel. 
"  In  his  drunkenness  is  it  not  re- 
vealed that  he  aspires  to  rule  the  uni- 
verse itself  and  even  God?  What 


1 94  In  Assyrian  Tents 

merit  is  his  kindness  to  a  few  men 
when  such  lust  as  this  controls  him? 
I  have  wondered  that  one  so  hard  and 
cruel  toward  mankind  could  be  to  me 
so  soft  and  warm,  but  now  I  know  it 
is  only  because  I  am  his  new  play- 
thing and  amuse  and  please  him. 
There  is  no  real  goodness  in  him. 
He  hath  a  devil." 

Such  thoughts  as  these  were  inter- 
rupted ere  the  hour  was  gone  by  a 
summons  from  the  King,  and  Uriel 
was  conducted  to  the  royal  bed-cham- 
ber. Sennacherib  had  been  disrobed 
and  lay  in  bed,  but  insisted  on  the 
presence  of  his  favorite  harper. 

"  Let  all  go  out  hence,"  the  King 
commanded,  and  as  the  sleepy  at- 
tendants obeyed  he  bade  Uriel  touch 
the  harp  and  sing. 

The  youth  did  not  sing.     Playing 


Flight  and  Night  Terrors        1 9  5 

softly  for  some  moments,  he  was 
about  to  begin  a  song  when  he  ob- 
served that  the  King's  eyes  were 
closed.  He  played  on,  more  softly 
still,  and  when  he  ceased  the  King's 
breathing  was  that  of  a  drunken  man 
in  a  profound  sleep. 

"Now!"  whispered  Uriel,  glan- 
cing toward  the  curtains  between  the 
King's  chamber  and  the  outer  apart- 
ment where  the  sleepy  attendants 
waited.  "  Now  is  the  time.  He  hath 
verily  been  delivered  into  my  hand." 

Noiselessly  the  youth  put  aside  the 
harp,  rose  to  his  feet,  and  stood  over 
the  sleeping  King,  his  right  hand 
resting  on  the  dagger  in  his  bosom. 
He  drew  the  dagger  forth  and  lifted 
his  arm,  calculating  that  if  he  struck 
the  blow  just  above  the  point  where 
Sennacherib's  hand  rested  on  his 


In  Assyrian  Tents 


breast  the  one  most  vital  part  would 
be  surely  reached. 

"  O  God  of  Judah,"  he  cried  within 
himself,  "  Thou  knowest  that  I  do  this 
deed  for  my  country's  sake!  " 

Then  his  arm  descended,  but  the 
blow  was  not  struck.  He  checked 
himself  in  time,  seeing  that  the  King 
suddenly  turned  in  bed,  and  fearing 
the  results  of  a  wild  and  futile  blow. 
Again  Sennacherib  lay  quiet  and 
again  the  dagger  was  raised.  Then 
the  King  murmured  in  his  sleep  : 

"I  trust  thee,  Uriel,  because  I 
know  thou  art  pure  in  heart.' 

Uriel  recoiled  with  a  low  cry  of 
pain,  hastily  concealing  the  dagger  in 
his  bosom.  Then  he  turned  away 
shuddering,  burst  through  the  cur- 
tains into  the  outer  apartment,  rushed 
past  the  wondering  attendants,  and 


Flight  and  Night  Terrors       1 9  7 

returned  with  all  speed  to  his  own 
tent. 

There  he  sat  down,  humbled, 
broken  in  spirit,  bitterly  sorrowful, 
communing  with  his  soul : 

"  I  cannot  do  this  thing — I  cannot. 
Thanks  be  to  God,  I  was  neither  sent 
on  this  mission  by  my  countrymen 
nor  commanded  by  the  prophet — for 
I  cannot  fulfil  it.  I  listened  only  to 
the  voice  of  my  own  soul  and  came 
only  of  my  own  will.  Therefore  the 
shame  of  failure  is  less  great,  but  still 
it  is  very  great.  I  cannot  be  a  hero. 
A  hero  would  think  only  of  his  coun- 
try, but  I  think  also  of  Naphtali  and 
Josepha,  and  am  too  weak  to  lift  my 
hand  against  the  tyrant  who  doth 
trust  me  and  hath  dealt  with  me  so 
generously. 

"  Sennacherib  is  two  men,  one  that 


1 98  In  Assyrian  Tents 

I  hate  and  one  that  I  love ;  and,  woe 
is  me,  I  cannot  strike  that  which  I 
hate  without  slaying  that  which  I 
love.  O  God  of  my  fathers,  why  didst 
Thou  make  the  Assyrian  both  good 
and  evil  and  thus  disarm  me  even  as  I 
lift  my  hand  to  strike!  How  easy 
for  David  to  strike  down  Goliath,  who 
was  one  piece  of  wickedness,  and 
most  insolent,  and  also  hideous  to  be- 
hold! But  Sennacherib  is  pleasing 
and  comely  and  kind,  and  is  a  Goliath 
only  in  that  inner  part  of  him  which 
seeks  to  trample  all  nations  beneath 
his  feet  and  exalt  his  kingdom  to  the 
stars.  He  is  a  tyrant  and  a  blas- 
phemer, but  yet,  alas,  a  loving  friend ! 
"  I  have  failed  in  this — and  may 
God  and  my  people  forgive  me !  But 
in  one  thing  I  need  not  and  will  not 
fail.  I  will  not  accept  the  love  and 


Flight  and  Night  Terrors        199 

kindness  of  Sennacherib,  nor  go  with 
him  to  Nineveh  unless  dragged 
thither  as  a  slave.  I  will  resign  his 
fleshpots  and  his  honors  for  the  husks 
and  sorrows  appointed  for  my  people. 
I  will  not  fatten  in  his  smile,  but  suf- 
fer miseries  in  their  company.  I  will 
go  from  him  this  night.  I  cannot 
meet  death  as  the  slayer  of  Sennach- 
erib, but  I  can  welcome  death — if 
death  it  must  be — in  rescuing  Naph- 
tali  and  Josepha  from  this  camp  of 
blasphemers.  I  cannot  be  a  hero  of 
Israel,  but  I  can  fight  and  die  in  battle 
for  my  afflicted  country.  And  so  now, 
Lord  God,  I  pray  for  forgiveness  of 
the  past  and  for  strength  for  the 
future." 

Such  were  the  thoughts  of  Uriel  as 
he  sat  far  into  the  night  beside  his 
sleeping  "  children,"  while  no  sound 


200  In  Assyrian  Tents 

save  the  whistling  of  the  wind  was 
heard  throughout  the  camp.  With 
his  head  bowed  upon  his  hands  he  sat 
on,  unconscious  of  the  flight  of  time. 

Thus  he  remained  heedless  when 
the  curtain  of  his  tent  was  lifted  and 
an  Assyrian  entered.  The  figure 
drew  near  him  with  noiseless  tread. 
There  was  no  sound,  but  Uriel's 
senses  at  the  last  moment  gave  him 
warning.  He  looked  up  suddenly  and 
beheld  a  man  standing  before  him 
with  uplifted  knife. 

As  he  perceived  his  desperate  situ- 
ation, Uriel's  brain  acted  with  the 
speed  of  lightning.  He  did  not  cry 
out.  He  did  not  rise.  He  lowered 
his  head  and  plunged  forward,  but- 
ting the  assassin  about  the  knees  with 
terrible  force. 

Taken  by  surprise,  the  intruder 


Flight  and  Night  Terrors        201 

lost  Ms  balance  and  fell  over  Ms  in- 
tended victim  to  the  ground,  striking 
Ms  forehead  against  a  stone  water  jar 
and  dropping  Ms  weapon.  Before  he 
could  rise  or  seize  Ms  dagger  he  was 
gripped  in  Uriel's  embrace.  Once, 
twice,  thrice  they  rolled  over.  Then 
Uriel  held  his  foe  beneath  him,  one 
hand  gnawing  deep  into  his  throat. 

The  struggle  was  soon  over.  Half 
stunned  by  the  fall  and  unable  to  tear 
away  the  suffocating  pressure  from 
Ms  throat,  the  assassin's  muscles  sud- 
denly relaxed  and  he  lay  as  if  dead. 
The  panting  victor  caught  up  the  dag- 
ger, but  assured  of  the  helplessness 
of  the  vanquished,  bound  him  hand 
and  foot  instead  of  striking  him  to 
the  heart.  Scarcely  had  the  assassin 
thus  been  made  secure  when  he 
opened  his  eyes  and  cast  a  look  of 


202  In  Assyrian  Tents 

dumb  entreaty  upon  the  youth  who 
bent  over  him  with  threatening  mien. 

"  What  evil  have  I  done  thee  that 
thou  shouldst  seek  my  life?"  de- 
manded Uriel,  his  voice  pitched  low. 

"None,"  came  the  husky  answer. 
"  Thou  art  my  master's  enemy,  not 
mine." 

"Who  is  thy  master?" 

"I  dare  not  tell." 

"  Then  die  the  dog's  death  thou 
dost  merit! " 

"  Hold !  Only  let  me  live  and  I  shall 
tell  thee.  The  great  Rab-Shakeh  is 
my  master.  He  desireth  thy  death 
more  than  great  riches.  Art  thou  not 
his  rival  for  the  King's  favor,  and 
didst  thou  not  take  from  him  a  fair 
young  slave?  " 

"Tell  thy  master— Rab-Shakeh, 
the  assassin — that  when  I  meet  him 


Flight  and  Night  Terrors        203 

in  battle  I  will  be  less  merciful  to  Mm 
than  I  am  now  to  thee,  his  slave. " 

Bidding  his  captive  say  no  more, 
Uriel  bound  a  napkin  tightly  over  his 
mouth,  and  thus  assured  that  there 
could  be  no  outcry,  he  spread  a  long, 
dark  cloak  over  the  prostrate  form. 
Then  he  hurriedly  made  preparations 
to  depart. 

"  Wake  up,"  lie  called  softly  over 
the  couch  of  Naphtali  and  then  over 
the  couch  of  Josepha.  "  Rise  and  be 
silent  and  prepare  to  follow  me." 

Wondering  and  confused,  but 
trustingly,  as  if  both  were  indeed 
"  children,"  Naphtali  and  Josepha 
obeyed,  following  Uriel,  as  soon  as 
their  simple  preparations  were  made, 
to  the  back  entrance  of  the  tent. 
There  they  stood  silent  and  waiting, 
as  Uriel  watched  his  chance. 


204  In  Assyrian  Tents 

A  sentinel  paced  slowly  by,  but  it 
was  clearly  seen  in  the  light  of  the 
high  full  moon  that  he  also  had  taken 
too  much  wine.  He  staggered  slightly 
as  he  moved,  and  his  manner  was  not 
watchful.  Anon  he  halted  and  leaned 
heavily  against  a  tree,  with  his  back 
to  the  point  where  it  was  necessary 
to  cro Js  his  path.  Now  was  the  time ! 

Grasping  Josepha's  hand  and  bid- 
ding Naphtali  follow  without  noise, 
Uriel  ran  rapidly  across  the  open  and 
gained  the  shelter  of  the  bush-bor- 
dered glen.  There  the  three  stood1 
still  for  a  few  moments,  panting  and 
listening.  As  no  outcry  followed,  it 
seemed  reasonably  sure  that  their 
flight  had  not  attracted  attention. 
Again  taking  Josepha's  hand  and 
bidding  Naphtali  follow  with  the  ut- 
most caution  against  the  noise  of  a 


Flight  and  Night  Terrors        205 

breaking  twig  or  displaced  stone,  the 
youth  slowly  led  the  way  downward 
through  the  little  glen  to  the  dry  bed 
of  a  stream  which  lived  only  during 
the  rainy  season. 

The  Assyrian  encampment  had 
now  been  left  some  distance  behind, 
but  Uriel  still  looked  warily  ahead, 
fearing  to  encounter  an  outer  picket 
line.  Even  as  he  now  halted,  uncer- 
tain whether  to  remain  in  the  bed  of 
the  stream  or  ascend  to  higher 
ground,  he  saw  a  little  way  up  the 
slope  on  the  right  the  dim  outline  of 
a  small  tent,  and  concluded  that  there 
slumbered  sentinels  while  waiting  to 
relieve  their  comrades.  The  outposts, 
therefore,  were  not  far  forward. 

Whispering  more  urgent  words  of 
caution,  Uriel  guardedly  led  the  way 
over  the  stones  of  the  dry  rivulet. 


2o6  In  Assyrian  Tents 

After  an  anxious  half -hour  he  felt 
confident  that  the  last  of  the  sentinels 
were  left  far  behind  and  that  he  and 
his  "  children  "  had  made  good  their 
escape,  thanks  to  the  continuing 
sounds  made  by  the  wind  and  to  the 
stupefying  results  of  the  feasting  and 
drinking,  in  which  even  the  guards  at 
the  outposts  had  probably  shared. 

But  the  night's  dangers  were  not 
passed,  for  presently,  as  they  ascended 
a  rocky  slope,  their  feet  were  arrested 
at  the  sound  of  a  distant  lion's  roar. 
Heard  thus  in  that  wild  spot  in  the 
small  hours  of  the  night,  it  was  a 
sound  to  chill  the  heart  of  the  bravest. 
Josepha  clung  to  Uriel,  terrified. 

' '  Where  go  we,  my  lord?"  asked 
Naphtali,  who  till  now  had  remained 
silent.  "  Surely  my  lord  would  not 
hunt  lions  in  the  night  and  without 
chariots  or  horses  or  archers?  " 


Flight  and  Night  Terrors        207 

"  We  go  not  to  hunt  lions  but  to 
escape  from  the  Assyrians  and  seek 
the  highway  that  leads  to  Jeru- 
salem." 

"  Jerusalem — Jerusalem,"  repeat- 
ed Naphtali  slowly,  as  if  perplexed  by 
a  faded  memory. 

Uriel  halted  and  looked  about  him, 
fearing  to  stop  where  they  were,  yet 
dreading  to  wander  on  in  a  region 
where  lions  roamed  the  night.  He 
took  note  of  two  slender  palm  trees 
some  distance  up  the  hillside,  which 
lifted  themselves  high  above  crowd- 
ing rocks  and  boulders  near  their 
base.  On  all  sides  the  ground  was 
open,  so  that  one  taking  refuge  there 
could  not  fail  to  mark  the  approach 
of  an  enemy;  and  doubtless  an  over- 
hanging rock  might  be  found  beneath 
which  shelter  could  be  had  from  the 


208  In  Assyrian  Tents 

night  dew.  With  such  purposes  in 
mind  Uriel  led  the  way  to  the  spot, 
concluding  to  take  the  risks  and  go  no 
further  till  day  had  dawned.  He  was 
too  weary  to  observe  the  grace  and 
beauty  of  the  palms  in  the  moon's 
adorning  light,  but  the  peace  and 
quiet  of  the  scene  appealed  to  him 
and  gave  him  confidence. 

"  Here  will  we  rest,"  he  said,  as 
they  arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  near- 
est palm. 

Immediately  an  ominous  sound,  as 
of  the  indrawn  breath  and  heavy 
tread  of  a  great  beast,  smote  upon 
his  ear,  and  before  there  was  time  to 
draw  back,  a  lion  leaped  forth  from 
the  rocks  and  stood  before  them  with 
bristling  mane. 

Obeying  his  first  impulse,  Uriel 
caught  up  Josepha  in  his  arms  and 


Flight  and  Night  Terrors        209 

ran.  Turning  to  look  back,  he  saw 
that  Naphtali  stood  rooted  to  the 
spot,  staring  into  the  eyes  of  the  lion, 
which  had  not  yet  sprung  upon  him. 
Then,  in  an  agony  of  alarm,  the  youth 
put  down  his  burden  and  seized  his 
bow.  As  he  fitted  an  arrow,  he  called 
frantically  to  his  father  to  run  away. 
But  Naphtali  did  not  move;  and  as 
the  son  hesitated  to  let  fly  the  arrow, 
he  heard  his  father  speak. 

"  Trouble  us  not,  good  lion,"  said 
Naphtali,  beseechingly.  "  We  be  not 
Assyrian  lords  who  would  hunt  thee 
down  and  kill  thee  in  cruel  sport.  We 
would  do  thee  no  hurt.  And  thou, 
why  shouldst  thou  wish  to  harm  a 
poor  old  man  and  a  little  child?  " 

The  great  beast  snuffed  the  air 
fiercely  as  the  demented  man  spoke 
thus,  but  did  not  move. 


210  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  Come  away!  "  called  Uriel  again. 

"  Go  back  to  thy  bed,  good  lion,  and 
be  at  peace." 

"  The  lion  does  not  harm  him," 
said  Josepha,  in  wonder  and  relief. 

"  Peradventure  it  is  because  he  is 
mad  and  is  protected  by  the  angels 
of  God,"  said  Uriel,  awestruck. 

"  Does  the  lion  see  the  angels  when 
we  see  them  not?"  asked  Josepha, 
with  growing  confidence. 

"  I  know  not,  but  surely  some  in- 
stinct causes  the  beast  to  pause  in 
fear." 

Occupied  with  this  strange  scene, 
neither  Uriel  nor  Josepha  marked 
the  stealthy  approach  of  three  armed 
Assyrians.  Unknown  to  the  fugi- 
tives, three  of  the  sentinels  at  the  out- 
posts had  seen  and  followed  them,  the 
pursuers  gaining  rapidly  on  the  pur- 


Flight  and  Night  Terrors        2 1 1 

sued  as  the  latter  now  halted  and 
called  out  to  each  other  in  this  unac- 
countable way.  For  the  Assyrians 
did  not  see  the  lion,  the  beast  being 
screened  from  their  view  by  an  inter- 
vening rock  as  they  drew  near. 

"  Come,  let  us  go,"  urged  Uriel 
again,  and  then  he  uttered  a  low  cry, 
throwing  his  arm  involuntarily  about 
Josepha,  when  he  saw  the  Assyrian 
soldiers  rush  forward. 

One  of  them  made  straight  at 
Naphtali  with  uplifted  sword,  and  the 
others  aimed  arrows  at  Uriel,  calling 
upon  him  to  yield.  At  this  moment, 
with  a  mighty  roar,  the  lion  sprang 
past  Naphtali  and  bore  the  foremost 
Assyrian  to  the  earth.  With  cries  of 
terror,  the  other  two  turned  and  fled 
down  the  slope  by  the  way  they  had 
come. 


212  In  Assyrian  Tents 

Naphtali,  as  if  awakened  from  a 
dream,  now  turned  to  look  for  his 
friends.  Before  a  hand  could  be  put 
forth  to  stop  her,  Josepha  ran  to  the 
old  man's  side,  caught  his  arm,  and 
hurried  him  away.  Then  Uriel  laid 
firm  hold  on  both  of  his  "  children  " 
and  ran  with  them  from  the  dread 
spot,  pursued  by  the  hoarse  snarling 
of  the  lion  as  it  devoured  its  prey. 

Running  at  great  speed  in  the  op- 
posite direction  from  that  taken  by 
the  Assyrians,  they  did  not  pause  till 
Josepha  dragged  upon  the  arm  that 
supported  her  and  gasped  for  breath. 
Then  Naphtali  and  Uriel  carried  her 
on  their  shoulders  in  turn,  and  thus 
they  pushed  on  for  miles. 

At  last  they  were  compelled  to  halt 
from  insupportable  weariness,  choos- 
ing an  open  hillside  clear  of  both 


Flight  and  Night  Terrors        2 1 3 

rocks  and  trees,  where  the  moonlight 
enabled  them  to  see  for  some  distance 
in  all  directions.  There  Josepha  lay 
down  and  slept,  wrapped  in  a  long 
cloak  and  guarded  by  the  youth  and 
the  old  man,  who  sat  on  either  side 
of  her.  Urged  to  do  so,  Naphtali  also 
lay  down  at  last  and  fell  asleep  as 
readily  as  a  child. 

By  this  time  the  moon  had  set,  and 
Uriel  kept  watch  alone  under  the 
calm,  hope-inspiring  stars.  As  time 
passed  and  no  immediate  danger 
threatened,  his  tense  attitude  re- 
laxed; but  he  remained  always  alert, 
his  bow  and  spear  in  readiness.  Thus 
he  watched  the  slow  miracle  of  dawn 
and  the  deepening  of  the  rose  and 
saffron  hues  above  the  eastern  hills. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  MIKACLE  IS  WROUGHT 

As  URIEL  rose  to  look  about  Mm  in 
the  full  light  of  a  clear  morning,  he 
reached  the  immediate  conclusion 
that  for  a  day  or  two  it  would  be  wise 
to  remain  in  the  shelter  of  the  hills, 
meanwhile  pushing  northward  as 
rapidly  as  the  difficulties  would  per- 
mit. Thus  the  scouting  bands  of  As- 
syrians might  be  avoided,  and  later 
it  would  be  safer  to  follow  the  high- 
ways winding  through  the  valleys. 

The  atmosphere  was  sweet,  cool, 
and  still  about  their  resting-place,  the 
east  was  bright,  but  black  and 
troubled  clouds  hung  in  the  west  over 
the  site  of  the  Assyrian  camp.  Uriel 
looked  long,  and  he  greatly  wondered, 


The  Miracle  is  Wrought       2 1 5 

for  the  heavy  darkness  seemed  to 
stand  still,  instead  of  moving  across 
wide  reaches  of  the  sky  as  storm 
clouds  are  wont  to  do. 

In  the  valley  between  him  and  the 
hills,  beyond  which  hung  the  great 
black  cloud,  he  now  took  note  of  a 
winding  highway.  Waking  Naphtali 
and  bidding  him  keep  watch,  the 
youth  made  his  way  downward,  bow 
in  hand.  Screened  among  rocks  and 
shrubs,  he  looked  up  and  down  the 
highway,  wondering  whence  it  came 
and  whither  it  led.  He  saw  no  man 
nor  beast,  and  was  about  to  turn  and 
retrace  his  steps  when  his  attention 
was  arrested  by  a  distant,  rumbling 
sound. 

With  the  passing  of  each  moment 
the  sound  grew  in  volume,  and  not 
long  was  he  left  in  doubt  as  to  its 


2 1 6  In  Assyrian  Tents 

meaning.  Suddenly  a  cloud  of  dust 
rose  on  the  highway,  where  it  first 
came  into  view  around  a  distant  hill, 
and  then  the  forms  of  men  on  horse- 
back and  in  chariots  appeared.  Every 
action  of  these  men  showed  fear  and 
haste.  They  leaned  far  forward  and 
lashed  their  plunging  beasts  without 
ceasing.  As  they  drew  nearer  Uriel 
perceived  in  great  astonishment  that 
they  were  Assyrians  and — fugitives! 
What  unforeseen  turn  of  fortune's 
wheel  was  this?  Had  the  Jews  and 
Egyptians  in  combined  force  fallen 
upon  the  sleeping  camp  of  Sennach- 
erib in  the  night  and  routed  the  proud 
invaders  ?  Overjoyed  by  this  thought, 
Uriel  forgot  caution  and  rushed  down 
to  the  very  borders  of  the  road  as  the 
foremost  of  the  fugitives  thundered 
past,  their  faces  begrimed  with  dust 


The  Miracle  is  Wrought       2 1 7 

and  sweat,  their  wild  eyes  fixed  upon 
the  highway  before  them,  and  their 
uplifted  hands  raining  blows  upon 
their  horses.  It  was  flight,  indeed, 
and  accompanied  by  such  terror  as  no 
defeated  army  had  ever  known. 

The  Assyrian  nobles  and  captains 
were  in  many  cases  without  arms  and 
for  the  most  part  but  half-clothed. 
Rab-Saris,  the  chief  eunuch,  stood  in 
his  thin  night  robe  beside  his  char- 
ioteer, urging  greater  haste  with 
frantic  gestures  and  looking  behind 
him  with  bulging  eyes,  as  if  pursued 
by  a  legion  of  flying  devils.  The 
great  Eab-Shakeh  seemed  mad  with 
fear.  He  cursed  those  who  raced  past 
him  and  furiously  called  on  those  in 
front  of  him  to  make  way  for  the 
King's  prime  minister.  He  beat  his 
charioteer  with  his  fists,  commanding 


2 1 8  In  Assyrian  Tents 

him  to  ride  down  and  crush  all  who 
blocked  the  way.  And  suddenly  he 
himself  was  overtaken  by  the  fate  he 
willed  for  others.  A  heavy  chariot 
drawn  by  maddened  horses  colliding 
with  his  own,  he  lost  his  balance, 
clutched  the  empty  air,  and  with  a 
terrible  cry  fell  to  the  ground,  whence 
he  could  not  rise  and  where  he  was 
soon  pounded  lifeless  beneath  crowd- 
ing hoofs  and  crushed  beyond  recog- 
nition under  heavy  wheels.  No  one 
took  note  of  him.  The  hurrying,  the 
shouting,  the  lashing  of  the  beasts,  the 
thunder  of  hoofs  and  wheels  still 
went  on. 

The  spectacle  recalled  to  Uriel  the 
story  of  the  flight  of  a  proud  army  of 
invaders  in  the  old  times,  when  cour- 
age was  put  into  the  hearts  of  the  des- 
pairing Israelites  by  the  prophetic 


The  Miracle  is  Wrought       219 

promise  that  "a  shaking  leaf" 
should  chase  their  enemies.  Whether 
it  were  from  a  triumphant  sword  or 
but  "  a  shaking  leaf," — a  madness  of 
groundless  fright, — it  was  plain  that 
the  mighty  Assyrians  were  now  ab- 
ject and  helpless  in  the  grip  of  fear. 

"  Uriel !  Uriel !  "  a  voice  was  heard 
calling.  "  Leap  into  my  chariot  and 
come  with  me,  Uriel!  Come  with  me 
to  Nineveh! " 

A  chariot  had  turned  aside  and 
stopped,  and  in  it  was  Sennacherib, 
wild-eyed,  dishevelled,  and  half  cloth- 
ed, straining  upon  the  reins  to  check 
the  plunging  horses,  which  the  terri- 
fied charioteer  alone  could  not  have 
controlled. 

"  My  lord,  0  my  lord,  what  hath 
befallen  thee?  "  cried  Uriel,  running 
forward. 


220  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  It  was  the  '  blast,'  "  shouted  Sen- 
nacherib above  the  uproar,  "the 
'  blast '  promised  by  the  prophet  hath 
been  sent  upon  me  by  thy  God!  " 

"  Is  it  even  so?" 

"  Didst  thou  not  see  for  thyself? 
Wast  thou  not  there?"  asked  the 
King,  then  glancing  aside  at  the  mad- 
dened fugitives  rushing  past,  he  for- 
got everything  but  the  terrifying 
"  blast,"  and  hurried  on  to  speak  of 
it  with  the  manner  of  one  half-crazed 
with  horror  and  fear : 

"  It  came  as  was  shown  to  me  in  my 
dream  with  clouds  of  smoke  and  de- 
vouring flame,  or  else  we  were  all 
seized  with  a  common  madness  and 
saw  the  visions  of  things  that  were 
not.  When  I  awoke  the  camp  seemed 
to  have  been  overwhelmed  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye  while  yet  we 


The  Miracle  is  Wrought       2  2 1 

slept.  I  know  not  of  a  certainty  the 
nature  of  the  terrible  visitation,  or 
whence  it  came,  but  I  know  that  only 
a  remnant  has  escaped.  My  proud 
army  is  a  crazed  and  fleeing  wreck. 
Men  slew  and  trampled  on  their 
brothers  in  their  haste  to  escape  the 
poisoned  blackness  that  enveloped  us. 
And  so,  behold  me  here,  a  fugitive,  a 
king  undone." 

"  Alas,  my  lord,"  said  Uriel,  moved 
to  sympathy  and  pity.  Then,  stirred 
with  a  strange  exaltation:  "  Now 
thou  knowest,  O  King,  that  the  God 
of  Judah  is  the  God  of  the  world." 

"  He  is  a  great  and  terrible  God," 
admitted  Sennacherib,  shuddering, 
"  and  hath  punished  me  for  my  rash 
defiance.  Come  with  me  to  Nineveh, 
Uriel,  and  teach  me  the  way  of  His 
worship  that  I  may  atone." 


222  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  Gladly  would  I  teach  thee  the 
way  of  the  worship  of  our  God,  who 
prizeth  a  clean  heart  above  the  smoke 
of  sacrifices,  but  I  cannot  go  with 
thee,  O  King." 

"  Come,  Uriel,  for  the  love  I  bear 
thee  and  for  what  I  will  do  for  thee. 
After  me  none  in  all  Assyria  shall  be 
greater  than  thee." 

"  Nay,  nay,  my  lord.  I  had  rather 
be  a  shepherd  in  the  land  of  Judah 
than  a  mighty  prince  in  Assyria.  Go 
thy  way,  O  King,  and  fare  thee  well!" 

Sennacherib  opened  his  mouth  to 
speak  again,  but  there  came  a  great 
shock  and  he  fell  against  his  chario- 
teer. Passing  wheels  had  collided 
with  his  own  and  now  his  snorting 
horses,  no  longer  under  control, 
plunged  madly  along  the  highway. 
Thus  was  the  king  of  Assyria  borne 
forever  from  the  sight  of  Uriel. 


The  Miracle  is  Wrought       223 

Soon  those  who  fled  on  horses  and 
in  chariots  had  all  passed  by,  and 
were  lost  in  the  dust  that  rose  from 
the  highway  in  a  cloud.  Then  for  a 
little  while  there  was  quiet.  Then  the 
sound  of  hurrying  feet  and  a  clamor 
of  gasping  voices  were  heard,  and 
the  fugitives  who  had  been  unable  or 
too  hurried  to  secure  their  beasts 
streamed  past  on  foot.  With  the  same 
begrimed  and  sweating  brows,  the 
same  wild  eyes  looking  neither  to 
right  nor  left,  they  jostled  and  fought 
each  other  for  room,  as  they  fled  along 
the  highway. 

Soon  they,  too,  were  lost  in  the 
cloud  of  dust,  and  then  a  single  man 
appeared,  swaying  from  side  to  side 
as  he  struggled  painfully  to  increase 
his  speed.  Suddenly  he  uttered  a  des- 
pairing cry  and  fell  almost  at  the 


2  24  In  Assyrian  Tents 

feet  of  Uriel.  Lifting  a  handful  of 
dust,  lie  cast  it  on  Ms  head  and  then 
lay  still.  It  was  the  priest,  Tiglathi- 
Nin. 

From  one  of  the  fleeing  chariots  a 
chest  had  fallen  and  burst  open.  Out 
from  the  scattered  treasure  a  golden 
goblet  had  rolled.  This  Uriel  filled 
with  water  at  a  near-by  spring,  re- 
turned with  it,  and  knelt  beside  the 
fallen  man.  When  Tiglathi-Mn  re- 
vived, his  face  was  wet,  a  cooling  cup 
was  at  his  lips,  and  his  head  rested  in 
friendly  arms. 

"  Alas  that  I  still  live,"  he  groaned, 
looking  about  him  fearfully.  Then, 
seeing  that  some  one  held  him :  ' '  Let 
me  go !  Let  me  arise  and  flee  ere  the 
terror  overtake  me! >: 

"Fear  not,"  gently  answered 
Uriel.  "Now  thou  art  safe.  'Tis 


The  Miracle  is  Wrought       225 

plain  that  the  destroying  hand  will 
not  pursue  beyond  the  borders  of 
yon  accursed  camp.  The  remnant 
will  be  allowed  to  flee  to  Nineveh  and 
tell  the  awful  tale,  that  the  men  of 
the  farthest  regions  may  hear  and 
take  warning.  I  have  spoken  with 
Sennacherib  and  know  how  the 
'  blast '  fell  on  him  in  the  night." 

"  'Tis  Uriel,"  said  Tiglathi-Mn, 
gaining  in  strength  and  sitting  up. 
"  I  am  safe  with  thee,  for  it  was  thy 
God  that  sent  destruction  upon  us, 
and  He,  I  know  well,  is  pleased  with 
thee.  Thinkest  thou,  good  Uriel,  that 
thy  God  Himself  descended  upon  our 
camp  with  a  sword  of  fire?  " 

"  I  know  not  the  ways  of  Him  who 
walketh  upon  the  clouds,"  said  the 
youth,  with  awe,  ".but  I  well  know 
that  the  fiery  blast  that  fell  upon  yon 


226  In  Assyrian  Tents 

camp  of  blasphemers  obeyed  His  will. 
The  prophet's  words  are  fulfilled  and 
the  mighty  are  fallen.  Sennacherib 
hath  not  a  real  hook  in  his  nose,  nor 
a  real  bridle  in  his  lips,  but  his  soul 
is  broken  and  bowed  down,  and  terror 
will  chase  him  to  the  gates  of  Nine- 
veh, whence  he  will  dare  to  march  no 
more  against  my  people.  The  Lord 
of  hosts  hath  discomfited  him." 

So  spoke  Uriel  with  the  solemn 
conviction  that  was  cherished  by  all 
his  people  after  they  learned  of  the 
sudden  flight  of  Sennacherib  with  but 
a  remnant  of  his  great  army.  In  the 
Hebrew  chronicle  of  that  time  it  is 
written  that  destruction  fell  upon  the 
mighty  invaders  as  they  slept  in  the 
night.  "  The  angel  of  the  Lord  went 
out  and  smote  in  the  camp  of  tlie 
Assyrians  an  hundred  and  four  score 


The  Miracle  is  Wrought       227 

and  five  thousand;  and  when  they 
arose  early  in  the  morning,  behold, 
they  were  all  dead  corpses." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  CHOICE  OF  TIGLATHI-NIN 

URIEL  rose  to  his  feet  and  stood 
watching  several  beasts  of  burden 
that  now  appeared  straying  along  the 
highway  with  no  sign  of  fear,  the 
pack-asses  walking  deliberately  and 
the  camels  halting  now  and  then  to 
bite  into  prickly  pear  bushes  on  the 
borders  of  the  road,  heedless  alike  of 
the  thorns  and  of  the  "  terror"  be- 
hind them,  from  which  their  masters 
had  fled  so  madly. 

"  'Tis  plain,  O  Uriel,"  said  Tig- 
lathi-Nln,  as  he  also  got  upon  his  feet, 
"that  thy  God  is  greater  than  all 
gods.  My  name,  as  thou  knowest,  is 
Tiglathi-Mn,  or  Adoration-be-to- 
Nin.  Would  that  I  might  henceforth 


The  Choice  of  Tiglathi-Nin     229 

be  called  Tiglathi-Jehovah.  Good 
Uriel,  how  may  I  learn  the  worship 
of  this  God  of  thine?" 

Uriel  turned  and  looked  keenly  at 
the  Assyrian  priest. 

"  Would  thy  people  permit,  O 
Uriel,  that  I  go  with  thee  to  Jeru- 
salem and  learn  of  His  worship  and 
His  laws?" 

"  Speakest  thou  from  the  heart  or 
from  fear  alone?  "  solemnly  inquired 
the  youth.  "  Too  often  doth  man  re- 
pent of  having  repented  when  the 
humility  begotten  of  fear  hath  de- 
parted from  him." 

"  Yea,  it  is  the  steadfast  desire  of 
my  heart  to  sacrifice  to  this  greatest 
of  gods." 

"  Our  God  is  satisfied  not  with  sac- 
rifices only,  but  requireth  a  clean 
heart.  He  demandeth  of  us  that  we 


2  3O  In  Assyrian  Tents 

do  justice  and  love  mercy  and  walk 
in  the  way  of  good  deeds." 

"  All  this  would  I  render  unto 
Him." 

"And  He  must  be  acknowledged 
alone  as  God." 

"  'Tis  a  hard  saying,"  faltered 
Tiglathi-Nin,  "  but  this  also  I  might 
render  after  I  learn  more  of  Him. 
Let  me  go  with  thee." 

"  Come  with  me  if  thou  wilt.  I 
promise  to  persuade  my  people  to 
treat  thee  as  a  friend." 

"  No  more  can  I  ask." 

"  Then  help  me  to  secure  the  beasts 
of  burden  that  we  need  for  the  jour- 
ney." 

So  Uriel  called  Josepha  and  Naph- 
tali  to  come  down,  and  with  the  help 
of  the  two  men  caught  three  of  the 
straying  camels,  after  which  prepara- 


The  Choice  of  Tiglathi-Nin     23 1 

tions  for  their  northward  journey 
were  begun.  Later  the  four  sat  down 
to  refresh  themselves  with  food,  and 
after  answering  as  best  he  could  the 
wondering  questions  of  little  Josepha 
in  regard  to  the  calamity  visited  upon 
the  Assyrians,  Uriel  gravely  ques- 
tioned Tiglathi-Nin  in  turn : 

"  Tell  me,  good  friend,  what  thou 
knowest  of  that  which  befell  thy  peo- 
ple in  the  night." 

"  I  know  not  what  I  saw  in  visions 
and  what  with  waking  eyes,"  the 
Assyrian  priest  replied.  "  Like  a 
dream  of  maddening  terrors  it  all 
now  seems  to  me.  Methought  I  was 
aroused  from  sleep  by  the  cries  of 
women  and  the  shouts  of  men.  The 
blackness  of  the  night  lay  upon  us 
like  a  monstrous  weight,  so  that  I 
gasped  for  breath;  and  through  this 


232  In  Assyrian  Tents 

thick  darkness  methought  I  heard  the 
sound  of  rushing  wings,  as  if  things 
of  evil  hovered  above  and  blew  their 
poisonous  breath  upon  us.  I  cannot 
tell  thee  how  I  know,  and  yet  I  know 
that  thousands  were  stricken  where 
they  lay  and  rose  not  from  their  beds. 
Other  thousands  slew  and  trod  upon 
each  other  as  they  struggled  to  escape 
the  nameless  death  that  chased  them 
forth. 

"  Reeling  like  a  drunken  man,  I 
found  my  way  to  the  royal  couch. 
The  great  captain,  Tartan,  was  there 
before  me.  '  Get  thee  up  and  flee,'  he 
cried,  and  rudely  shook  the  King. 
Together  we  seized  and  dragged  him 
forth,  gasping,  all  of  us,  for  breath. 
We  fought  our  way  among  cursing 
men  and  shrieking  women  and  every- 
where trod  upon  the  dead.  We  leaped 


The  Choice  of  Tiglathi-Nin     233 

aside  from  the  rush  of  unseen  horses 
and  from  the  wheels  of  faintly  gleam- 
ing chariots,  and  crossed  at  last  the 
bounds  of  the  great  encampment. 
And  now  we  drew  our  breath  more 
freely  and  could  better  see  our  way. 
Looking  back,  from  rising  ground, 
we  saw  no  camp,  but  only  a  great 
black,  eddying  cloud  that  rose  to 
heaven,  illumined  by  what  seemed 
floating  tongues  of  flame.  It  was  as 
if  lightning  flashed  unceasingly,  re- 
vealing the  dusky,  horrid  faces  of 
misshapen  demons  of  the  air  that 
gloated  upon  and  mocked  the  univer- 
sal death. 

"  '  Look! '  cried  Sennacherib.  '  Be- 
hold, the  '  blast '  hath  come  upon  me 
and  my  prophetic  dream  is  fulfilled.' 
With  a  loud  cry  he  rent  his  clothes 
and  flung  him  down  and  wallowed  in 


234  In  Assyrian  Tents 

the  dust.  He  clutched  the  earth  and 
cast  dust  on  his  head.  We,  too,  cast 
dust  upon  our  heads  and  joined  in 
his  cries  to  our  defeated  gods. 

"*O  Asshur,  where  art  thou?' 
cried  proud  Sennacherib.  *  What  is 
this  fearful,  monstrous  thing?  How 
have  I  kindled  thy  dread  wrath? 
Have  not  I  conquered  in  thy  name 
and  spread  thy  glorious  worship  to 
the  four  quarters  of  the  world  ?  Have 
not  I  done  thy  will  and  sacrificed  to 
thee  at  all  appointed  times?  Have 
not  I  raised  to  thee  a  thousand  im- 
ages and  carved  in  thy  temples  on 
plates  of  stone  the  records  of  my  vic- 
tories ?  O  Asshur,  king  of  gods,  for- 
sake me  not ! ' 

"  Then  called  the  King  on  many 
gods — on  Nergal,  Anu,  Shamas,  Hoa, 
Mn.  *  Hear  me  and  hearken,  mighty 


The  Choice  of  Tiglathi-Nin     235 

ones ! '  But  no  answer  came,  and  lie 
arose  and  stood  before  us  like  a 
broken  thing.  '  Our  gods  are  dead,' 
quoth  he,  '  and  we  must  die.' 

"  '  Thou  sayest  right,  the  gods  are 
dead,' I  answered  like  one  mad.  *  Lo, 
Judah's  God  hath  slain  them  all.' 

"  Then  the  terror  that  pursued  us 
in  the  blackness  of  the  camp  grew 
upon  us  and  upon  all  those  that  halted 
round  us.  '  Up!  let  us  go,'  Sennach- 
erib cried.  *  A  horse !  a  chariot ! 
Quick,  ere  the  wrath  descend  upon 
us  where  we  stand ! ' 

"  And  now,  as  a  chariot  was  driven 
out  of  the  eddying  darkness  on  our 
right  hand,  Tartan  leaped  before  the 
horses,  checking  them,  and  the  King 
mounted  and  was  gone.  I  followed 
on  foot,  jostled  by  fleeing  men  and 
threatened  by  plunging  horses,  and 


236  In  Assyrian  Tents 

the  dawn  found  me  weary  and  alone, 
left  far  behind,  on  this  highway." 

At  a  later  hour  of  that  memorable 
morning,  as  the  four  travellers  pressed 
forward  on  their  camels  and  followed 
the  highway  to  the  crest  of  a  hill,  they 
saw  that  the  black,  fell  cloud  still 
hung  over  the  site  of  the  Assyrian 
camp.  Throughout  the  day,  when- 
ever they  reached  high  ground,  they 
saw  it  still;  but  on  the  morrow  they 
looked  for  it  in  vain,  whether  because 
the  distance  was  now  so  great  or  be- 
cause the  mysterious  cloud  was  dis- 
sipated, they  could  not  tell.  But  both 
Tiglathi-Nin  and  Uriel  felt  assured 
that  naught  remained  of  the  proud 
Assyrian  camp  but  a  blasted  empti- 
ness over  which  vultures  soared,  wait- 
ing for  their  hour. 

After  a  space  of  days,  when  the 


The  Choice  of  Tiglathi-Nin     237 

travellers  reached  the  crest  of  another 
hill,  they  looked  and  saw  the  towers 
and  white  palaces  of  Jerusalem  glist- 
ening under  the  sun  of  a  cloudless  sky. 
They  saw  the  fertile  green  country, 
the  encompassing  hills,  the  palm  trees 
and  olives,  untouched  by  the  in- 
vader's destroying  hand,  and  tears  of 
rapture  filled  their  eyes. 

6 '  Jerusalem !  Jerusalem ! ' '  cried 
Josepha. 

"  Beautiful,"  murmured  Tiglathi- 
Nin. 

Naphtali  gazed  upon  the  scene  in 
silence,  a  troubled  look  suggestive  of 
dawning  recognition  on  his  face. 

His  voice  shaken  with  emotion, 
Uriel  gave  the  order  to  dismount  and 
rest.  Then  taking  his  harp,  and 
standing  with  his  gaze  fixed  on  the 
distant  city,  he  improvised  softly  as 


238  In  Assyrian  Tents 

the  spontaneous  outpouring  of  his 
thankful  heart  took  rhythmical  form. 
And  this  was  the  burden  of  his  song 
of  rejoicing: 

"  Blessed  be  the  God  of  Israel  who 
hath  once  more  revealed  Himself  and 
saved  His  people !  Praise  be  to  Him 
who  is  our  tower  of  strength,  our 
mighty  deliverer!  For  He  hath  de- 
scended in  a  rain  of  fire  upon  our 
strong  enemy,  He  hath  discomfited 
the  Assyrians  with  arrows  of  flame. 
He  shook  the  mountains,  He  thun- 
dered in  the  heavens,  and  came  down 
in  thick  clouds  of  smoke.  He  sent  His 
angel  before  Him  with  a  flaming 
sword,  and  smote  the  Assyrians 
mightily,  so  that  few  were  left  to  flee. 
Yea,  He  sent  darts  of  fire  among  them 
and  scattered  them  afar;  He  shot 
lightnings  and  terrified  them,  chas- 


1 1  — 


The  Choice  of  Tiglathi-Nin     239 

ing  them  even  to  the  gates  of  Nineveh. 
So  we  are  saved.  So  the  land  of 
Judah  is  set  free,  and  the  yoke  of  the 
stranger  is  taken  from  our  necks. 
For  this,  O  mighty  God,  we  render 
thanks  to  Thee  whom  we  love  and 
whom  we  fear.  For  this,  O  Israel, 
let  us  give  thanks  not  with  our  lips 
only  but  with  an  offering  of  humble 
hearts  and  righteous  deeds." 

The  song  had  no  sooner  ended  than 
all  eyes  were  drawn  to  Naphtali.  He 
had  seated  himself  to  listen,  his 
troubled  eyes  meanwhile  fixed  upon 
the  distant  city.  Suddenly  he  started 
up  in  great  excitement,  turning  to 
Uriel. 

"  Jerusalem — there  lieth  'Jerusa- 
lem," he  cried,  "  and  I  am  Naphtali, 
but  who  art  thou?  Whence  comest 
thou,  and  what  hast  thou  to  do  with 


2  40  In  Assyrian  Tents 

me  ?  Have  I  slept  a  long  sleep  ?  What 
do  I  here?" 

"  I  have  saved  thee  from  the  Assy- 
rians, and  now  I  take  thee  home," 
gently  spoke  Uriel  after  he,  too,  had 
started  up,  dropping  his  harp.  "  In 
cruel  captivity  among  the  Assyrians 
thou  didst  forget  all  former  things." 

"  It  was  even  so — now  I  remember. 
But— who  art  thou?  " 

"  My  father!  O  my  father!  Dost 
thou  not  know  thy  son?  " 

"Thou,  my  Uriel?  .  .  .  Thou  art 
he  in  truth.  I  know  thee  now,  even 
though  the  years  have  brought  thee 
the  stature  of  a  man.  Alas,  the  long, 
hard  years! " 

With  such  words,  and  with  cries 
and  tears,  they  fell  upon  and  kissed 
each  other,  while  the  Assyrian  priest 
stood  by  exulting,  and  Josepha  wept 
in  sympathy. 


CHAPTER  XV 

JERUSALEM  SALUTES  A  HERO 

THE  GATES  of  Jerusalem  were  still 
shut  against  the  expected  advance  of 
the  enemy,  but  those  looking  down 
from  the  walls  saw  nothing  to  fear 
in  the  four  travellers  who  rode  up  in 
haste,  calling  out  that  they  brought 
good  news.  The  Water  Gate  was 
opened  to  them,  and  they  rode  into 
the  presence  of  an  anxious,  clamor- 
ing crowd. 

"  Rejoice,  good  people,"  cried 
Uriel,  "  for  the  Assyrians  have  fled 
and  Jerusalem  is  saved." 

It  so  happened  that  Amnon,  the 
uncle  of  Uriel,  and  Joab,  and  Shamah 
— the  three  old  men  who  had  seen  the 
youth  go  forth  upon  his  mission — 


242 In  Assyrian  Tents 

were  in  the  crowd.  Instantly  they 
raised  their  voices,  beside  themselves 
with  excitement  and  joy. 

"  It  is  Uriel,  our  Uriel,"  cried  Am- 
non,  "  he  that  went  forth  to  slay  Sen- 
nacherib! ': 

"Behold  a  hero!"  shouted  Sha- 
mah.  "  With  his  one  strong  arm  he 
hath  slain  the  oppressor." 

And  Joab,  whose  voice  carried  like 
a  trumpet,  cried  aloud  again  and 
again:  "Uriel  hath  slain  Sennach- 
erib and  the  Assyrians  are  fled!  " 

The  cry  was  taken  up  by  the  people 
and  carried  throughout  Jerusalem, 
and  never  was  heard  such  an  uproar 
of  joyful  cries.  Uriel  strove  to  speak 
and  explain,  but  such  was  the  clamor 
that  he  could  not  be  heard.  His  voice 
was  drowned  in  the  shout:  "Lead 
him  to  the  King !  To  the  palace !  " 


Jerusalem  Salutes  a  Hero      243 

So  the  three  camels,  the  first  bear- 
ing Uriel  and  Josepha,  the  second 
Naphtali,  and  the  third  Tiglathi-Nin, 
were  led  through  the  streets  of  the 
city  to  the  palace  of  King  Hezekiah. 
The  rejoicing  people  roared  around 
them,  and  women  ran  before  them 
with  garlands  and  dances  and  tim- 
brels, saluting  Uriel  as  a  hero  and 
singing  songs  in  his  praise. 

Happiness  beamed  upon  every  face 
except  that  of  Uriel  himself.  When 
they  dismounted  at  the  marble  steps 
of  the  palace,  and  the  women  wreath- 
ed him  in  garlands,  he  strove  again  to 
speak,  and  again  could  not  be  heard. 
So  he  and  Josepha  and  Naphtali  and 
Tiglathi-Nin  were  conducted  with 
music  and  great  pomp  into  the  vast 
hall  of  audience  where  King  Heze- 
kiah sat  on  Solomon's  ivory  throne 
awaiting  them. 


244  In  Assyrian  Tents 

"  Welcome,  brave  youth,"  said  the 
King,  most  graciously.  "  Thy  good 
tidings  have  run  before  thee,  but  I 
would  have  thee  tell  the  tale  with 
thine  own  lips." 

Men  marvelled  that  the  manner  of 
Uriel  was  not  that  of  a  hero  standing 
before  his  smiling  king  but  rather 
that  of  a  sinner  before  his  judge. 
Tears  streamed  down  his  face  as  he 
struggled  to  speak. 

"  I  am  unworthy  of  this  honor,  O 
King,"  he  faltered.  "  Thou  seest  in 
me  no  hero,  but  one  who  was  not 
strong  enough  to  lift  his  hand  against 
the  Assyrian  oppressor.  It  is  true  I 
went  forth  to  slay  him,  but  my  heart 
failed  me.  Sennacherib  still  lives." 

A  groan  went  up  from  the  assem- 
bled multitude,  and  those  who  till  now 
had  looked  on  him  with  love  accused 


Jerusalem  Salutes  a  Hero       245 

him  with  their  eyes.  Conscious  of 
this  great  change  that  had  come  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye,  Uriel  glanced 
shrinkingly  about  him,  until  his  eye 
alighted  on  the  face  of  his  own  dear 
mother,  who  stood  with  his  uncle. 
Seeing  her  smile  of  welcome  and  per- 
fect trust,  he  took  courage  and  stood 
undaunted  before  his  people. 

"What  sayest  thou?"  asked  the 
King,  amazed.  "  Then  the  Assyrians 
are  not  fled?  " 

"  The  terrified  remnant  of  them 
are  fled  and  their  king  with  them," 
said  Uriel,  "  but  their  proud  camp  is 
a  blasted  emptiness  and  their  choicest 
legions  are  dead.  The  Lord  God  hath 
slain  and  scattered  the  Assyrian 
hosts." 

A  sigh  of  relief  ran  through  the 
multitude,  and  a  great  shout  was 


246  In  Assyrian  Tents 

checked  only  at  sight  of  the  King 
speaking : 

"  Is  it  even  so  ?  Then  the  prophet's 
word  is  fulfilled.  Thanks  be  to  our 
God  who  hath  saved  us  from  our  ene- 
mies !  But  speak  on.  Tell  us  all  thou 
knowest  and  all  thou  hast  done." 

So  Uriel  spoke  long  and  freely, 
telling  of  his  vow  to  slay  Sennacherib 
and  save  his  country,  of  his  journey 
to  the  Assyrian  camp,  of  the  favor 
shown  him  by  the  Assyrian  monarch, 
of  his  gratitude  and  of  his  sorrow  be- 
cause he  could  not  strike  the  blow,  of 
his  escape  with  Josepha  and  Naph- 
tali,  of  the  fleeing  Assyrians,  and  of 
what  he  had  learned  of  the  great  mir- 
acle that  saved  the  land  of  Judah  and 
humbled  the  proudest  of  kings. 

"  Hear,  O  people,"  said  Hezekiah 
when  he  had  heard  all.  "  I  proclaim 


Jerusalem  Salutes  a  Hero       247 

this  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  and 
sacrifices,  and  to-morrow — after  we 
liave  thus  humbled  ourselves  with 
thankful  hearts  before  our  great  and 
merciful  God — to-morrow  let  there 
be  joy  and  feasting.  Go  now  to  your 
homes  and  at  the  call  of  the  High 
Priest  present  yourselves  in  the 
Temple." 

Then,  turning  to  Uriel,  the  King 
spoke  graciously: 

"  Thou  art  a  brave  and  noble  youth. 
Who  shall  say  that  thou  art  less  a 
hero  because  thy  hand  was  stayed  by 
the  gratitude  of  a  good  and  generous 
heart  ?  Henceforth  thou  art  the  fav- 
ored friend  of  thy  King.  Thou  shalt 
have  a  collar  of  beaten  gold  and  a 
princely  robe.  And  this  Assyrian 
priest,  thy  friend,  shall  be  used  with 
all  kindness.  The  daughter  of  Gama- 


248  In  Assyrian  Tents 

liel,  this  dear  child  whom  thou  didst 
save  from  a  cruel  fate,  shall  become 
thy  wife  when  she  hath  reached  a 
proper  age,  and  all  the  great  wealth 
of  her  father's  house  shall  be  thine. 
Go  now  with  thy  family  and  be  at 
peace." 


THE  FRIEDENWALD  CO.,  PRINTERS, 
BALTIMORE,  MD.,  U.  8.  A. 


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and  breadth  of  his  method,  and  the  absolute  confi- 
dence with  which  he  presents  his  arguments." — 
DR.  A.  S.  ISAACS,  Baltimore  Sun. 

IDYLS  OF  THE  GASS. — By  MARTHA  WOLFENSTEIN. 

295  pp.     $1.25. 

"  Charming  is,  indeed,  the  word  which  one  keeps 
repeating  to  oneself  throughout.  ...  It  is  not  a 
novel,  nor  is  it  a  set  of  short  stories,  but  a  blend 
of  both  eked  out  even,  a  la  Thackeray,  with 
snatches  of  essays,  in  which  the  writer  wears  her 
heart  upon  her  leaves.  It  is  a  whimsical,  way- 
ward, womanly  book,  saturated  with  the  charm  of 
the  Ghetto  life  which  Miss  Wolfenstein  loves  best 
in  the  world." — I.  ZANGWILL,  Jewish  Chronicle, 
London. 

SONS  OF  THE  COVENANT.— By  SAMUEL  GORDON. 

Illustrated.    500  pp.    $1.50. 
"  A  charming  story,  attractive  not  alone  for  its 
healthful,    invigorating   tone,   but    an    indefinable 
spiritual  quality  that  stamps  the  author  as  full  of 
promise." — Jewish  Messenger. 

UNDER  THE  EAGLE'S  WING.— By  SARA  MILLER. 
Illustrated.  229  pp.  75  cents. 

"  It  is  a  story  of  the  days  of  Maimonides 

The  author  is  to  be  commended  for  her  book,  that 
abounds  in  stirring  incidents  and  is  written  with 
considerable  ability." — Jewish  Messenger. 

THEY  THAT  WALK  IN  DARKNESS.  Ghetto  Tra- 
gedies.—By  I.  ZANGWILL.  486  pp.  $1.50.  Sold 
to  Members  only. 

"While  the  tragic  issue  of  each  of  these  re- 
markable stories  is  inevitable,  they  are  illumined 

ix 


by  flashes  of  fancy,  satire,  irony,  and  humor.  No 
reader  who  is  not  blinded  by  prejudice  will  rise 
from  the  perusal  of  this  engrossing  volume  without 
an  enhanced  sense  of  compassion  for,  and  admir- 
ation of,  the  singular  race  of  whose  traits  and 
temperament  Mr.  Zangwill  is  perhaps  the  most 
gifted  interpreter." — Spectator,  London. 

LOST  PRINCE  ALMON— By  Louis  PENDLETON.  Il- 
lustrated. 218  pp.  75  cents. 

"It  is  a  charmingly  written  story  of  the  little 
Prince  Jehoash,  son  of  Ahaziah,  whom  the  Prince 
Jehoiada  had  rescued  from  the  clutches  of  Athal- 
iah.  Our  Sunday-school  literature  is  so  extremely 
poor  that  we  hail  this  volume  with  particular 
delight,  and  we  predict  that  it  will  soon  be  one  of 
the  most  popular  gift  books  for  Jewish  children." 
— Jewish  Voice. 

DREAMERS  OF  THE  GHETTO.— By  I.  ZANGWILL. 
537  pp.  $1.50.  Sold  to  Members  only. 

"With  marvelous  industry,  and  with  no  small 
amount  of  erudition,  he  has  packed  together  into 
the  scenes  dealing  with  Uriel  Acosta,  Sabbatai 
Zevi,  Spinoza,  the  Baal  Shem,  Maimon,  Heine, 
Lassalle,  and  Beaconsfield,  just  those  incidents  and 
sayings  of  their  careers  which  bring  out  most 
clearly  their  Jewish  aspects." — JOSEPH  JACOBS, 
Bookman. 

IN  THE  PALE.  Stories  and  Legends  of  the  Russian 
jews.— By  HENRY  ILIOWIZI.  367  pp.  $1.25. 

"  Henry  Iliowizi  ...  is  a  master  of  both  humor 
and  pathos,  as  is  shown  in  his  book  of  stories  and 
legends  entitled  '  In  the  Pale/ " — Sunday-School 
Times. 

CHILDREN  OF  THE  GHETTO.— By  I.  ZANGWILL.  2 
vols.  451  pp.,  325  pp.  $2.50.  Sold  to  Mem- 
bers only. 

"  Nowhere  else  have  been  given  us  more  realistic 
pictures  of  the  shabbiness,  the  unwholesomeness, 
the  close-packed  human  misery,  the  squalor,  the 
vulgarity,  the  sharp  struggle  in  the  mean  competi- 
tion of  life  in  the  East  End  of  London.  .  .  .  [But] 


there  is  a  world  of  poetry,  of  dreams,  of  ima- 
gination, of  high  calling,  of  intellectual  subtlety, 
even,  in  which  sordid  London,  not  Jewish,  has 
no  part  or  lot." — CHABLES  DUDLEY  WAENEB,  Har- 
per's Magazine. 

RABBI  AND  PRIEST — By  MILTON  GOLDSMITH.    314 

pp.    $1.00. 

"The  author  has  attempted  to  depict  faithfully 
the  customs  and  practices  of  the  Russian  people 
and  government  in  connection  with  the  Jewish 
population  of  that  country.  The  book  is  a  strong 
and  well-written  story." — Public  Opinion. 

THINK  AND   THANK.— By   S.   W.   COOPER.     Illus- 
trated.    120  pp.     50  cents. 

"  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  is  the  hero  of  this  story. 
.  .  .  '  Think  and  Thank '  will  please  boys,  and  it 
will  be  found  popular  in  Sunday-school  libraries." 
— New  York  Herald. 

VOEGELE'S   MARRIAGE   AND   OTHER   TALES.— 

By  Louis  SCHNABEL.     83  pp.     Paper.     25  cents. 
(Special  Series  No.  2.) 

" '  The  False  Turn '  is  a  charming  little  sketch, 
and  the  humor  of  it  very  delicate  and  amusing. 
'  Voegele's  Marriage '  I  find  also  very  artistic  and 
interesting." — EMMA  LAZARUS. 


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xi 


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U2223 

Pendleton,  L.B. 
In  Assyrian  tents. 


PS3531 

E£L6 

16 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
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